Shapinsay named a UNICEF Silver “Rights Respecting School”

Shapinsay Community School has achieved a Silver accreditation as a UNICEF “Rights Respecting School”. 

This means that children’s rights are learned, understood and lived in the school. 

Headteacher, Emma Clements, said: “We achieved our Rights Respecting Schools Bronze Award in May 2023. The Pupil Council then worked with me to write an action plan for the Silver Award. On our action plan we identified that we wanted everyone to be familiar with and understand the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

“We worked in assemblies, made displays in schools and the community, linked the school values with the Rights, linked any fundraising with Rights. Staff and parents looked at the work on Rights in meetings and we shared what we were doing through the Shapinsay newsletter. 

“We also looked at relationships and ensuring that everyone is safe. Lessons across the curriculum looked at Rights and we linked the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child wherever possible. All children across the primary school are part of pupil action groups and each group identified their own targets to work on, looking at the right to have your voice heard. We tried to uphold rights locally and globally, for example writing to Orkney MSP Liam McArthur about plastic pollution in the sea and learning about governance both locally and nationally.” 

Shapinsay were Silver accredited in November 2024 and received their banner this week and are already working towards the Gold accreditation. 

“Towards this we have created a class charter where we are looking at what children and adults need to do in the classroom to make sure everyone’s rights are met. Pupil Council have looked at what happens each month (for example Comic Relief, Holocaust Memorial Day) and also what we are learning about in class, and have planned ‘2025, a year of rights’ where we focus on different rights each month. We also plan to learn more about sustainable development goals and how we can have a positive impact. 

“We are all really proud to have achieved the Silver Award. Everyone is now comfortable with talking about their rights, and we hope that we can now move towards Gold as we look at how we can use our rights to improve the lives of children everywhere.”