We have been awarded the highest level of childrens’ rights award by UNICEF, one of the world’s largest childrens’ charities. 

The Gold: Rights Respecting Award is the third stage of the Rights Respecting Schools Award. It is granted by UNICEF UK to schools that have fully embedded children’s rights throughout the school in its policies, practice and ethos.

For the award, schools are assessed on the whole school’s rights respecting work and the impact that has been made through embedding children’s rights into school life by a UNICEF representative.  

Achieving the Gold: Rights Respecting means Co-op Academy Broadhurst has adopted a child rights approach across their school, based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. 

Embedding it in school policy, practice and culture. Children, young people and adults in school have a thorough understanding of their rights, and how to respect them. 

Grace Rostern, Year 4 Teacher and Award lead at the academy said – “Our pupils see themselves as rights respecting global citizens and are advocates for social justice, fairness and children’s rights at home and abroad.”

Co-op Academy Broadhurst celebrated this achievement on Friday 22nd July with a whole school picnic. 

“We are so proud of our pupils, staff and families for their commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Being a Rights Respecting School has supported us to develop pupil voice and the children’s involvement in all decisions affecting them. The children are more aware of global issues and have campaigned around issues that are important to them. 

“We have seen an improvement in behaviour and engagement in lessons and the children are more able to express their ideas and respect the ideas of others. As a rights Respecting School we actively promote diversity, equality and inclusion and everyone’s opinion matters” – Jan Gough, Headteacher at Co-op Academy Broadhurst