What does this mean?

We teach children about their rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. These rights include things like the right to be safe, the right to learn, and the right to be heard. By understanding their rights, our pupils learn to respect others, be kind, and play an active role in their school and community.

How does this help our school?

Respect and Kindness: Children learn to treat each other fairly and with kindness.

Positive Learning Environment: Our focus on rights creates a school where children feel safe, valued, and ready to learn. 

Informed and Empowered Pupils: Pupils are more confident in expressing their ideas and making decisions.

Rights Respecting Ambassadors

We have a team of Rights Respecting Ambassadors who applied for their positions at the start of the year. These pupils play a key role in promoting children’s rights across our school. They help raise awareness of the the UN Convention on the Rights of the child.

 Rights Respecting Ambassadors 2024/25

Our Class Charters

At the start of each academic year, classes put together their own class charters, selecting the rights from the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child that they feel are most important for their classroom. These Charters help guide how they want to behave and interact ensuring a positive and respectful learning environment. 

What is a UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School?

The key principles which underpin Castel’s procedures for managing attendance are that:

• Parents and carers have a duty to ensure that their children attend school regularly and punctually in order to get the most benefit from their education
• Regular and punctual attendance at school is key to the academic and social development that will improve the life chances of learners
• Learners who attend school regularly and punctually are less likely to be at risk, both in terms of engaging in anti-social behaviour and in terms of their own health, safety and welfare

Any absence from school should follow the school’s Attendance and Punctuality Policy which is available here.

The holiday absence request form can be viewed or downloaded here

What is the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child?

In 1989, governments worldwide promised all children the same rights by adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Convention recognised that all children have the right to be treated with dignity and fairness, to be protected, to develop to their full potential and to participate. The rights in the Convention describe what a child needs to survive, grow, and live up to their potential in the world. They apply equally to every child, no matter who they are or where they come from.

The Convention changed the way children are viewed and treated – in other words, as human beings with a distinct set of rights instead of as passive objects of care and charity. It is the most widely ratified human rights treaty – only the United States has not ratified it. The UK signed up to it in 1991.

What is UNICEF?

UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation for children and young people, promoting the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything they do. Together with their partners, UNICEF works in 190 countries to translate that commitment into practical action. UNICEF UK is a registered charity. It raises funds through donations from individuals, organisations and companies and campaigns to keep children safe. UNICEF UK also works with schools, hospitals and local authorities in the UK to put children at the heart of what they do.

To find out more about Unicef, go to: www.unicef.org.uk

What is next for Castel?

This academic year, we’re working towards maintaining our Gold Rights Respecting Schools Award, continuing to ensure that all our pupils grow up understanding and respecting their rights and the rights of others.