UNICEF UK RIGHTS RESPECTING SCHOOL AWARD

ASSESSMENT REPORT

LEVEL TWO

School: / Bishopston Primary School
Headteacher: / Gareth Widlake
RRSA coordinator: / Jo Griffiths
Local authority: / Swansea
Assessors: / Eleri Griffiths Bev Harris
Date: / 26th June 2015

1. INTRODUCTION

The assessors would like to extend their thanks to pupils, the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), staff, and Parent Governor for the warm welcome afforded to them on the assessment visit and the comprehensive evidence provided detailing the journey in working towards RRS level 2. Prior to the assessment, Bishopston Primary provided a level 2 planning form and an impact assessment form. It was clear during the assessment that the whole school community places a real importance on embedding the principles and values of the CRC throughout every aspect of daily life at Bishopston Primary.

It was particularly notable that the school places a high priority on pupil wellbeing and treating every pupil with respect and dignity which is a fundamental guiding principle of the CRC. During pupil and staff interviews, mutual respectful relationships were noted and observed, and there is a consensus that using rights based language has contributed to this and provided a universal language which is used consistently throughout the school.

Standards A, B, C and D have met all the necessary criteria.

2. REQUIREMENTS BEFORE ATTAINING LEVEL 2

No requirements are made.

3. MAINTAINING LEVEL 2

Our experience has shown that there are actions that have proven useful in other RRSA schools and settings in helping them to maintain and build on their practice at Level 2. Here are our recommendations for your school:

·  Continue to develop an ambassadorial role to support other schools on the RRS journey

·  Ensure that any newly appointed staff and governors are introduced to RRS and understand their role as duty bearer for the CRC

·  Ensure that all articles identified for charters use the wording of the article (with a personalising statement if required) and article numbers

·  Continue to work with the local community in promoting CRC and RRS

·  Continue to strengthen the links with the link secondary schools to develop a transition programme based on the UNCRC

The head teacher also noted the schools’ intention to develop and embed the rights based approach into the following areas of schools life:

·  Increase the opportunities for the pupils to participate meaningfully in the revisions and writing of the School’s Development Plan

·  Explore opportunities presented through a Governor to extend the Rights Resecting ethos and approach into a local hospital

4. THE ASSESSMENT IN DETAIL

4.1. The school context

Bishopston Primary School is located within the village of Bishopston, on the edge of the Gower peninsula. It is a maintained by Swansea LA and the school dates back to 1950. The school currently has 303 pupils on role and the school’s catchment is largely from areas of affluence with only 2% coming from areas within the 30% least advantaged communities of Swansea.

The school is divided into two buildings, one a 1960’s building which houses the Infants and another older building that houses the Junior school. In each building there is a dedicated Specialist Teaching Facility (STF) for pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties. The school has identified 20% of pupils with special educational needs, and 7.1% currently have a statement of educational need.

All pupils come from homes where English is the predominant language. The percentage of pupils who are entitled to receive free school meals is 4.9% which is lower than both the local and national averages.

Bishopston school has a significant number of achievements. The School Council and Eco Bugs Committee are well established and members take their responsibilities seriously linked to articles. The school also achieved a Healthy School Award, a Basic Skills Award and a Green Flag award. The RRS level 1 was achieved in 2011 and Bishopston School have fulfilled all the recommendations noted in the level 1 report.

4.2. Assessment information

Self-evaluation form received / Yes
Impact evaluation form received / Yes
Attendees at SLT meeting / Headteacher / RRSA lead teacher
Number of children and young people interviewed / 27 pupils in formal interviews
30+ informally
Number of staff interviewed / 5 teaching staff
1 deputy head teacher
1 support staff
1 Parent Governor
Evidence provided / Learning walk
Written evidence
Assembly
Meeting with School Council and Super Ambassadors
Meeting with Governor
Standard A:
Rights-respecting values underpin leadership and management
Standard A has been achieved

Embedding the values and principles of the CRC is driven and guided by the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and directly supports the school’s motto of ‘to care for one another and be the best that we can be’, with the main aim being that both children and staff become the best they can be – A29. The Convention is seen as central to the school’s aims, values and ethos and the Headteacher was able to talk confidently about using the CRC as the vision for the school and RRS being a universal language that is shared by all. He stated that RRS has complemented the ethos and values that were already held by the staff prior to becoming a level 1 school with pupil wellbeing, dignity and best interests at the heart. Further discussions with the SLT provided evidence of their wholehearted commitment to RRS and the Headteacher noted “I firmly believe that schools should be happy, fun places where children come and learn to learn. Children’s rights are an extension of this, since values underpin the CRC. That is why we took on the RRS agenda – it enhanced, developed and enriched our current philosophy and ethos”.

The impact evaluation form notes impact in all areas including engagement in learning, educational achievement and attendance with exemplified statements to support each criteria. To support the school’s educational achievements in which RRS has been a contributing factor, the school was recently categorised as a ‘yellow (2)’ school by the Welsh Government. This category reflects an effective school that is already doing well and knows the areas it needs to improve. School standards are rising and the school has been placed in quartile 2 (second) over the last year for key subject indicators. SLT and teachers spoken to throughout the assessment noted RRS contributing to school success and having an impact.

There is ample evidence that RRS informs and shapes school policies and practices which are monitored by SLT to ensure sustainability with full support from the Governing Body. There is a rolling programme of policy reviews and policies make explicit links to articles whenever renewed. Examples seen include the Safeguarding Policy, SEN, Marking and Feedback, Mathematics Policy and the Inclusion Policy. The CRC and achieving RRS is a clear theme throughout the School Development Plan (SDP) and the RRS lead teacher has time to monitor its progress and review developments. The Literacy and Numeracy Framework within the school has been adapted to include references and information about integrating Rights into the teaching and learning is given to all teaching staff.

There are examples of planning and actions taken by the SLT to develop an inclusive ethos at Bishopston Primary and there are many opportunities for pupils to contribute to policy and practice of the school’s development and to their local and global communities. One example provided was the integration of rights throughout the school’s Personal and Social Development Plan that is values focused. Through celebrating values, pupils have worked with the SLT to ensure that each of their golden values, (respect, friendship, peace and happiness provide a framework to explore articles 1,7,8,9,10,11,14,23,24,25,26,27 and 31) . Each Value (linked to an article) is celebrated on a monthly basis and embedded across the school into assemblies, celebrations, curriculum topics and planning for both Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2. The structure of the Seren yr Wythnos (Star of the week) celebration in weekly assemblies is a lovely demonstration of article 29 being celebrated regularly with children being nominated by their peers for an award based on their values with explicit links to articles. This peer celebration clearly empowers children to be included in school life and recognise each other’s achievements.

Bishopston Primary is keen to share their good practice on rights and act as ambassadors for the CRC and RRS. They have organised visits at LA practice sharing events and taken children to present to schools outside their LA to showcase RRS and support schools embarking on their journeys. The school has also started exploratory discussions with the local secondary schools to offer support to them at the beginning of their RRS journey.

The school uses the CRC to inform and add value to its work within the school, local, UK and global communities. Campaigns and whole school projects such as International Day of Peace, the weekly Fairtrade shop and World Water day all evolve from a rights’ based approach and pupils could articulate how these campaigns support the rights of others. These celebrations provide the focus for weekly assemblies and the Headteacher leads these assemblies with a talk on the campaign or rights issue of the week e.g. Send a child to School day – June 26th.

Global citizenship and sustainable development is a key theme that runs across the curriculum in a systematic and embedded approach. There is coverage across topic planning and curriculum areas and all work is linked to the Convention. Pupils and staff could provide examples of both local and global learning and link it back to their curriculum learning. The school has earned the Eco Green Flag Award for the second time which provides evidence of sustainability being taught whole school. Both pupils and staff were able to articulate how the work undertaken for Eco Schools through the Eco Bugs Committee links to children being able to enjoy their right to a decent standard of living (article 27). Pupils have learnt about A24 and researched inequalities between children in a nursery in Mutenda, Zambia. Through links with a local Church the children got involved in a project to knit teddies for the children in Zambia. When questioned about children’s rights all over the world the children one child stated “all children should have rights but some of them don’t have the rights they’re supposed to have like clean water and food.”

Standard B:
The whole school community learns about the CRC
Standard B has been achieved

Pupils across both Foundation Phase and Key Stage 2 could confidently talk about the Convention and share their knowledge on rights. During classroom visits, one nursery pupil spent the discussion listing all the rights she could think of which exceeded 7 articles. School Council members expressed enthusiasm and pride in their knowledge of the CRC and staff could relate rights education to their role and the curriculum. Pupils during a steering group meeting could describe a range of key articles including A2 (all children under 18 have rights no matter what), A12 (right to an opinion), A17 (right to information), A19 (right to be safe), A29 (right to be the best you can be), A31 (relax and play), A42 (right to know your rights) and A 6 (right to life). Pupils understood the Convention was universal and unconditional “if someone denies my rights, its wrong” as quoted by a Key Stage 2 pupil. One year 6 pupil added “if anyone tried to take our rights away we would riot” and another stated “we would just do the rights work ourselves because they are ours!” Pupils could provide examples of where children’s rights are being denied around the world for example children in Nepal following the recent earthquake and they understood that there are children in Wales who are not always kept safe and are not able to have their voices heard noting A12 and A19.

Staff acknowledged the role of the lead teacher and recognised the importance of her initial support in ensuring RRS was introduced realistically into school life over time. Staff reported that RRS “has just become second nature to us all by now.” All staff spoken to relate rights to their practices and daily life in the classroom for example fruit and milk linked to A24 and clearly invest time in ensuring pupils are exposed to rights at all opportunities.

Parents/carers have been informed of the Convention and had the opportunity to learn about rights through homework, newsletters, and specific letters sent home by pupils. Links to articles are explicit on the school website. Governors are fully supportive of RRS and pupil voice/RRS is a standing agenda item in governor meetings so progress can be monitored and reviewed. RRS is regularly reviewed by the Welfare sub-committee of the governing body and its impact discussed with pupils and staff.

During the tour around school, it was evident that displays are explicitly linked to articles. The children took part in mascot and logo creating competitions to create a visual symbol for rights within the school. In Foundation Phase, pupils use a blue and yellow ‘Elmer the elephant’ to symbolise RRS and he can be seen in classrooms linked to articles as well as in the corridors. In Key Stage 2, the winning logo for rights is ‘two holding hands’, and again this can be seen on displays. Children spoken to were able to reference articles in designated areas through reference to the mascot. There are several displays on rights and specific articles around the school corridors with some being general and others being about specific articles such as article 19 (road safety) and article 27 (Fairtrade). The assembly we visited celebrated pupils’ knowledge of rights and how they are an integral part of school life linked to global citizenship.