Golden Glory for Trinity School!

By Trinity News Reporters

In December 2023, our school was awarded the prestigious UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting Schools award! This award is the culmination of 5 years hard work since our Silver accreditation. Gold Rights Respecting is the third stage of the Rights Respecting Schools Award. It is granted by UNICEF UK to schools that have fully embedded children's rights throughout the school in its policies, practice and ethos, as outlined in the RRSA Strands and Outcomes.

We asked Mrs Flett, our RRS lead, about what makes a Gold School:

“Being a Gold Rights Respecting School means that we teach our children how to be upstanding, considerate and thoughtful citizens. They learn about their own rights as children, as well as of those around them, and how their actions and choices can have an impact on their friends, school and even the world around them. Our Trinity Action Groups (TAGs) are an integral part of our school and put pupil voice at the heart of our decision making. There are 3 strands that we work on throughout the school which support our ethos and values.  There are explicit lessons, class charters, assemblies, whole school projects as well as rights weaved through our policies.”

In October the UK and Jersey representatives visited Trinity School and were very impressed by what they saw. They spoke to lots of children across the school, parents and staff. They said the strengths of our school are:

• “A strong commitment by senior leaders to place the best interests of the children at the heart of decision making. This had led to a well-planned and coordinated approach to children’s wellbeing that includes RRSA, a strong PSHE curriculum and a focus on an inclusive approach.”
• “An ethos that places positive relationships at the heart of school life. This is linked to the school values (respect, compassion, friendship, safety) and an understanding of children’s rights.”
• “The belief that every child should have a voice indecision making in school and the community. This is facilitated and given value as part of the planned curriculum through the highly effecting Trinity Action Groups (TAGs).”
• “The school has a strong culture of inclusivity and respect which is understood and articulated by children and adults alike.”
• “Children’s engagement with the local community and Jersey ministers to raise awareness of children’s rights and the importance of the right to be heard.”

The Trinity News reporters have been out and about at school to find out our views and opinions on our gold status.

Why do you think we achieved gold?

‘Everyone is respectful, we treat people equally and we don’t discriminate.’ – Jenson

‘We all work hard to learn about the rights of a child.’ – Seren

‘The children are supported to achieve all their rights’ – Riley

“We respect everyone’s rights no matter because we are all kind and equal.” – Mia

“There are no outsiders at Trinity School.” - Jack

Why did we deserve to get a RRS Gold Award?

“We are not disrespecting anyone’s rights and teachers always give us the right to play and learn” – Mia

“Because we have no outsiders.” -Gabby

“Because we are a friendly and welcoming school” – Casey

“Because everyone respects everyone” – Jack

“Because we are an inclusive school and all the teachers help and support us” -Oscar

“We respect children’s rights and value every voice; pupil voice is at the heart of Trinity School.” Mrs Cutting

“Nothing is impossible at Trinity! We have kind teachers and kind children.” - Bonnie

“I think we were always a RRS, but over time it has built up into a great/really big RRS. With all the decisions the teachers and the children make, I think we deserved it!” – Florence

Did you enjoy achieving the Gold RRS award?

“I felt very proud to be part of Team Trinity” – Mrs Flett.

“We loved the gold party and felt so proud to be a gold school” - Thomas

“I really enjoyed speaking to Jilly (from UNICEF) and telling her about all our rights work.” – Elizabeth

“It was such a good feeling to know that we had done it!” – Charlie

“I felt really proud to be a gold school and to celebrate. The gold chocolate was delicious too!” - Ava

Our head teacher, Mrs McMahon, commented:

“I am delighted with the feedback received in the report from UNICEF particularly as they noted that it was evident that children’s rights are embedded across the school and underpin every facet of school life. They recognised the hard work of senior leaders and staff to place the best interests of children at the heart of decision making. This has led to us having a well planned and coordinated approach to pupil well being that includes RRSA, a strong curriculum and a focus on an inclusive approach.

Our Trinity Action Groups were again recognised as a strength of the school, with every pupil’s voice being heard, leading to changes within school and within the community.”

We had a big gold party when we received our banner. Each children wrote a message about Trinity School on a gold star and we all got a gold chocolate bar!

Our school continues to value every child’s contribution and voice through our Trinity Action Groups (TAGs) and meet every month to drive our school actions forward.