Rights Respecting Schools
At Galashiels Academy, we’re proud to be recognised as a UNICEF Rights Respecting School. We currently hold the Silver Award: Rights Aware, which reflects our commitment to putting children’s rights at the centre of school life.
We are now working towards the Gold Award: Rights Respecting, aiming to embed these values even further across our whole school community.
What is a Rights Respecting School?
The Rights Respecting Schools Award, created by UNICEF, celebrates schools that bring the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into everyday practice. It helps young people understand their rights, respect the rights of others, and grow into confident, responsible and active citizens.
Our Commitment
At Galashiels Academy, children’s rights are not just something we teach, they shape our ethos, our relationships and what happens in our classrooms each day. We are dedicated to ensuring that every young person:
- Feels safe, valued and respected
- Has a voice and is genuinely listened to
- Is supported to reach their full potential
- Understands their rights as well as their responsibilities
What This Looks Like in Our School
Across the school, a wide range of work is helping to promote and strengthen children’s rights, including:
- Learning experiences that link directly to children’s rights across different subjects
- Opportunities for pupil voice, enabling young people to influence decisions and contribute to school improvement
- Assemblies and events that highlight global issues and raise awareness of children’s rights
- Inclusive practices that ensure every learner feels respected, supported and included
- Ongoing staff development to maintain a consistent, rights‑based approach throughout the school
Looking Ahead
As we work towards the Gold Award, our focus is on further strengthening participation, deepening everyone’s understanding of rights, and involving the whole school community, including parents and carers, in this journey.
We are proud of the positive, respectful and inclusive environment we have built together, and we look forward to continuing this progress as we move towards becoming a Gold Rights Respecting School.