In brief: St Saviour’s Primary School has become the latest Jersey school to earn UNICEF UK’s highest accolade for championing children’s rights. The Gold Rights Respecting School Award recognises the school’s inclusive ethos, its Pupil Government initiative, and its involvement in the Jersey School Council Network.
Gold Standard for St Saviour’s
St Saviour’s Primary School has been awarded the Gold Rights Respecting School Award by UNICEF UK, the Jersey Evening Post reports. The gold award is the highest level of recognition available through UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools programme, which encourages schools to embed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into their culture, teaching and ethos.
The humanitarian agency specifically highlighted two initiatives as central to the school’s success: its Pupil Government and its participation in the Jersey School Council Network. Both are credited with giving pupils meaningful opportunities to understand their own rights and to engage with broader global issues, rather than simply learning about rights as an abstract concept.
School Community Celebrates
Head teacher Kirstie Williams called the award “a very proud moment for our school.” She said: “Our children understand their rights, respect the rights of others and use their voices to make a positive difference. This award reflects the commitment of our pupils, staff and families. We are delighted to celebrate this achievement together.”
Education Minister Catherine Curtis added her congratulations, saying: “This recognition reflects the dedication of the whole school community and the positive impact its rights-based approach is having on children and young people.”
What the Award Means in Practice
The Rights Respecting Schools programme is run by UNICEF UK and is designed to improve wellbeing and help children thrive by creating a rights-respecting culture within schools. Achieving the gold award signals that a school has not merely introduced the programme but has embedded it deeply across its community, from the classroom to the staffroom and beyond.
For parents in Jersey, the award offers a concrete signal that St Saviour’s is doing something right, in the most literal sense. Teaching children that rights come hand in hand with responsibilities, and giving them structured ways to exercise their voices through bodies like the Pupil Government, is a model that tends to produce more engaged, articulate and civic-minded young people.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
