UNICEF Silver Award for children’s rights given to Mitcham academy
By Claudia Lee
Mitcham school Benedict Academy has been awarded UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools Silver Award (RRSSA) for its continued commitment to children’s rights.
The school, in Church Road, was assessed on teaching and learning about rights, through rights via ethos and relationships and for rights, through participation and action.
The accreditation report praised the school for its high value in each of these elements.
Felicity Gilmore, head of the school, said: “I am very proud of the whole school for achieving this award. Achieving the second award in less than a year highlights the determination of staff and pupils to ensure that children’s rights are a top priority.”
Standards were reflected in the establishment of a Pupils Parliament with its own Prime Minister and Ministerial team responsible for steering the work on rights.
The report also underlines that the children and staff have positive relationships fostered by a culture of mutual respect between adults and children.
More specifically, the report noted that both staff and pupils were well-informed on a range of articles on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
This award comes after Benedict Academy won the Rights Respecting Schools Bronze Award last year.
Gilmore said: “As we continue forward, we will keep embedding children’s rights across the school, and work towards the RSSA Gold award.
“Pupil wellbeing is of the utmost importance to us at Benedict Academy and we will continue to work hard to achieve this in every possible way.”
Benedict Academy is part of the successful STEP Academy Trust, a partnership of academies committed to improving the chances for all children.
Through these efforts, UNICEF aims to ensure children are healthier, happier, safer, and become active and involved in school life and the wider world.
Pictured top: Students of Benedict Academy holding their Silver Award for children’s rights (Picture: Benedict Academy)