Pupils and staff at Easdale Primary School have celebrated a trio of silver awards over the last six months.
Not only has the school received a silver Scottish Schools Sports Award, it has also gained a silver Health Award from Argyll and Bute Active Schools, and has just recently become the latest school in the area to receive UNICEF’s sought-after Silver Rights Respecting Schools Award.
The aim of the Rights Respecting Schools Award is to create safe and inspiring places to learn, where children feel respected and their talents nurtured.
Pupils and staff have been working hard to gain this prestigious accolade, and the school’s links with a range of local community partners has enabled the children to take part in a variety of projects that support and promote the award’s global goals.
Following a visit to the school, assessors said: “There is a clear commitment and passion from staff in the teaching of children’s rights in a holistic way that is woven through all aspects of school life.
“The children are confident in their understanding around the universal and unconditional nature of rights. Parents feel that children are ‘living and breathing children’s rights, it’s not a token gesture’. Families have noticed a change in how children talk, referencing rights and demonstrating an awareness of how people live outside of their small, rural community.”
Welcoming the school’s successes, Argyll and Bute Council’s Policy Lead for Education, Councillor Yvonne McNeilly said: “Pupils, staff and parents at Easdale Primary should be very proud of what they have achieved so far this year.
“We are committed to ensuring our children and young people have the best start in life and these awards will set positive foundations that will enable pupils to flourish and succeed, now and in the future.
“I am very proud to say that, as a local authority, Argyll and Bute is well on its way to establishing a Rights Respecting Education Service. Easdale is the latest in a long line of schools to achieve a Rights Respecting Schools Award and this is a great achievement.”
Easdale Primary is now working towards achieving its gold Rights Respecting Schools Award from UNICEF and kicked it off by creating a life-size Orca as part of its environment campaign launch.