The Award recognises achievement in putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s planning, policies and practice. A Rights Respecting School is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted.

The accreditation report highlights that the school “has a commitment to integrate the Rights Respecting School framework into its vision and daily practices, ensuring that leadership at all levels supports this ethos” which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of staff, pupils and the wider school community. UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Programme Director, Martin Russell, said: “It is wonderful to see the commitment Tweendykes have made to promote and embed children’s rights into their practice. We are very pleased to award them as a Silver: Rights Aware school and look forward to continuing to support the school’s Rights Respecting journey.”

The Assessor commented positively that “staff maintain high expectations to ensure every Tweendykes child achieves their full potential” and that “children clearly feel a sense of ownership in their school.” Those responsible for governance were recognised for their actions and decisions affecting children being rooted in, reviewed and resolved through rights.

The Assessor observed that “child-friendly rights, illustrated with symbols, are displayed prominently around the school, embedding a consistent language of rights.” The school were commended for the bespoke nature of their educational curriculum and for their approach to parental engagement noting that “parents feel fully involved in their children’s journey, ably supported by school staff and the wider community.”

Headteacher, Yvonne Briggs, spoke of her delight with the outcome: “At Tweendykes School & Sixth Form, we strongly believe that every child should go to school excited about the day ahead and experience a sense of achievement when they go home. I was delighted to hear that the Assessor acknowledged this, including that 100% of pupils enjoy being in school and that staff go the extra mile to help pupils. I was also pleased to see that our engagement initiatives with children and parents to support our child centred ethos were recognised. ”  

Humber Education Trust CEO, Rachel Wilkes, expressed her gratitude to the leadership, staff, students and wider school community: “Tweendykes School & Sixth Form strives to provide a curriculum that both motivates pupils and encourages them to continue learning each and every day. It is an inclusive school where every individual is valued and I am delighted that the report highlights the dedication and hard work of the school’s leadership, staff, students, parents and wider community in placing children and young people at the heart of everything they do."

UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights. The Rights Respecting Schools Award is granted to schools that show commitment to promoting and realising children’s rights and encouraging adults, children, and young people to respect the rights of others in school. Silver is given to schools that make excellent progress towards embedding the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and curriculum. There are over 1,300 schools across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales that have achieved Silver and over 600 schools that have been awarded Gold, the highest accolade granted by UNICEF UK.

The UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools initiative is aimed at schools across the UK, including those in an early years setting. Currently, it works with nearly 5,000 primary schools, secondary schools, schools for children and young people with special educational needs and pupil referral units across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Schools have reported a positive impact on pupil behaviour, relationships and well-being by enhancing pupils’ self-esteem, leading to less truancy and bullying, better learning and improved academic standards.