The award is the highest accolade given by Unicef UK, and is granted to schools that demonstrate a commitment to promoting and realising the rights of their students, as well as encouraging children to respect the rights of others in the school.
‘This award reflects everyone’s unwavering commitment to creating a safe, inspiring and rights-respecting environment where every young person is empowered to succeed,’ said Les Voies headteacher Jon Furley.
‘I am incredibly proud of our staff, who have worked tirelessly to embrace their roles as duty bearers, ensuring these rights are not just taught, but are woven into the daily life of our school.’
Among the things mentioned in the Unicef report were the school’s strong work around inclusion and making space to accommodate the students’ individuality, as well as the staff’s expressed passion about the importance of rights in daily school life, discussing rights in lessons, assemblies and whole-school activities.
‘I think we’re not quite a normal school, and so we do a lot of things differently to normal schools to help people feel like this is a safe building,’ said Year 9 student Riley Corbin.
‘We do quite a few things, like when we go from lesson to lesson we have a staff member come around with us, which can make people feel safe, and when someone’s having a wobble, a staff member will always be with them to just help them regulate.’
The school also provides students with designated safe spaces to use during difficult moments, and also gives those who need it a chance to step outside and walk around for a couple of minutes.
The report also noted that pupils’ voices were strongly heard, especially through its Junior Leadership Team, which sees representatives from each class come together to discuss changes they would like to see at the school.
‘The whole class pitches in, and then the person that’s a JLT rep voices what the class has said,’ said Lily Griffiths-Ali from Year 9.
‘It’s good to have someone voice an opinion who’s the same age as you, because you can relate to stuff and you can talk over things, and you don’t just go unheard.’
Recently, the team has made some changes, such as securing a bike shelter to save cycling pupils from returning home on sopping seats, and establishing plans to refurbish the old communal kitchen into a more updated space.
‘I think that most of the time, like in normal schools, it’s mostly the adults that make decisions,’ Riley said.
‘I think having students make more decisions lets there be more views, and you get an idea of what’s good or not from the kids’ side.’
Inspectors also highlighted the school’s impact beyond the classroom, with students engaging in the Guernsey Youth Forum, environmental initiatives such as beach cleans, and being helped to understand their role as citizens of the wider world.
‘We do everything that we possibly can to support our students in the best way we can, and to have that recognised with a gold award is just fantastic,’ said Les Voies teacher and rights respecting lead co-ordinator Chloe Queripel.
‘I was so proud, not only of our staff but of our students, because the award is really for them.’
While students were equally delighted with the award, some were unsurprised, having been confident that they would achieve it.
‘I was happy, but I felt like we were going to get it anyway. It’s kind of just what we do, and we were working so hard for it,’ Lily said.
‘Just because we’re a little different doesn’t mean we’re not hard workers, as the same as the other schools. It doesn’t matter what background you’re from – as long as you work hard for something, you deserve it.’
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