Oakfield Primary School achieves Unicef's Silver Rights Respecting Schools Award

Oakfield Primary School has achieved the Unicef Silver Rights Respecting Schools Award.

The award recognises a school's achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into practice within the school and beyond.

LSA Natalie Vaquerizo, Jane Woodhead and Deputy Head Emma Sullivan organised the schools bid for the award.

"It's all about creating that safe and inspiring place for children to learn and grow," Natalie told Nub News.

"So, we've been working to show the children they are respected, make sure they are able to thrive regardless of what's going on around them, and know that they have their own rights."

There are three levels to the award:

Bronze: Rights Committed
Silver: Rights Aware
Gold: Rights Respecting

Oakfield Primary School is the first school in Barry to achieve the Silver level, and are looking to reach Gold in the next 12 months. To gain the Silver award, a school must embed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in its practice and culture, promoting the understanding of them among pupils and staff. "There are 54 rights that the United Nations have created for children. So, our job as a school was embedding these rights in them," said Natalie. "They were getting weekly lessons and we have two school ambassadors that work alongside Sally Holland, who's also the Children's Commissioner for Wales. "It's about making the children aware that they have rights and that they can explain what that means, then extending that out to the community. "We had a weekly challenge, all based around the article of the week. I chose the challenge, for example last week I set the challenge to create a moving Mars Rover. There is a movie prize for the winner. During an accreditation visit in February, the assessor Stuart Whiffin reviewed the evidence put together by Natalie and her colleagues and interviewed them and the pupils. He said they had made great progress and had done everything "fantastically". A large banner has arrived at the school, which will be displayed at the front of the building from Monday. "What's great is that the children are taking this home from school," said Natalie. "We're teaching and growing the children so they see themselves as respected citizens. "A story from one parent was about how they asked their child to clean their room, and he replied 'actually I have the right to rest, relax, and play'. "They really love learning about it and putting their knowledge into practice," she said.

Barry Nub News

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Oakfield Primary School achieves Unicef's Silver Rights Respecting Schools Award

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