Rights Respecting - Lady Margaret Primary School

At Lady Margaret Primary School, we are proud to be a Gold: Rights Respecting School, awarded by UNICEF UK in recognition of our whole-school commitment to placing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) at the heart of everything we do.

Our ethos is built around respect, dignity and equality. These are not just values – they are rights that shape how we learn, how we treat each other and how we prepare our pupils to make a difference in the world.

A rights-based approach to education

We believe every child should:

Feel heard and valued
Learn in a safe, supportive environment
Be empowered to stand up for fairness and equality
Understand their rights and responsibilities as global citizens

These principles are embedded throughout our curriculum, culture and policies.

How we live our Rights Respecting ethos

Curriculum integration

Children explore the rights through our high-quality texts interwoven through our expertly planned curriculum. Some examples are:

Article 12 (Right to be Heard) in pupil debates and class discussions
Article 28 (Right to Education) in lessons that build aspiration and challenge
Article 24 (Right to Health) in science and physical education

Class Charters

Each class creates a Rights Charter at the beginning of the year, linking behaviour expectations to the UNCRC. These charters are central to classroom life and referred to in real-time to guide learning and interactions.

Pupil voice and leadership

Our Morality ambassadors work closely with staff to monitor how rights are promoted across the school. They:

Lead assemblies and campaigns
Gather feedback from peers
Help shape policies like anti-bullying and wellbeing
Gather and represent pupil views

Behaviour and wellbeing
We use a restorative approach rooted in the language of rights. This helps pupils reflect on their actions, understand their impact on others and resolve conflicts respectfully.

Whole school culture
Rights language is visible in every corridor, conversation and classroom. Our assemblies often focus on a key article, connecting global rights to local experiences. Staff model rights-respecting behaviour at all times.

The impact

As a result of our rights-based work, pupils at Lady Margaret:

Speak with confidence about justice, equity, and fairness
Show empathy, compassion, and a strong sense of responsibility
Are proud of their school and feel empowered to make positive change
Learn in an environment that is inclusive, ambitious, and joyful

Our Rights Respecting work contributes to a calm, purposeful climate for learning where every child feels safe, heard, and supported.

Working in partnership

We work closely with our families and wider community to promote and uphold rights beyond the school gates. Through newsletters, workshops and family projects, we ensure that the language of rights is shared and lived at home and in our neighbourhood.

Highlights from the RRSA Reaccreditation Report – Isobel Mitchell

Report date: 19/01/23 The school is reaccredited every 3 years

It is evident that children’s rights are embedded across the school and underpin every facet of school life.
A whole school focus on oracy is helping children to share their opinions and to speak up if they have any concerns.
When asked what they felt was the best thing about their school many of the children talked about the kindness of the teachers and how the duty bearers (adults) protect their rights
- “Staff members protect you”
- “If there is any bullying, the staff deal with it immediately.”
Pupils have many opportunities to direct their own learning
The curriculum is regularly reviewed and developed to ensure it is positively representing the diversity of the school population with ideas from children and their families playing an important role in this process.

“We talked about Article 19 in assembly – the right to be protected from harm – and it helped me understand why we have rules and adults who care about us.”

Year 3

Pupil