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Unity Community Primary School receives prestigious UNICEF Award

Unity Community Primary School has been re-accredited Gold by UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting School programme, highlighting Unity as a school which is dedicated to children’s rights and empowering pupils through meaningful action.

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.

Gold is the highest accolade given by UNICEF UK and shows a deep and thorough commitment to children’s rights at all levels of school life. There are 172 schools in Manchester currently working on the RRSA programme, and Unity is one of 43 to have achieved Gold.

Unity has been working with UNICEF UK since 2015, having embedded the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into the school ethos and identity. By proudly advocating for the rights of children for over 10 years, Unity has already achieved both the Silver and Gold levels of this award. They have now been re-accredited as a Gold Rights Respecting School, after a visit from a UNICEF assessor in July 2025.

As a diverse school with over 375 pupils, speaking 38 different languages and with roots in over 50 different countries, Unity ensures every child understands their inherent and equal rights, and feels empowered to voice them. The school regularly dedicates time to teaching and discussing the 54 articles of the UNCRC. It is an integral part of what they learn, how they behave, how they are treated and how they treat others.

Unity has accomplished this through numerous school-wide initiatives, including a student-elected Pupil Parliament and the Rights Respecting Charters created by each classroom. Other events that have positively impacted children’s rights include: International Day, Polling Day, Fundraiser for Palestine, Road Safety Awareness and Green Heroes’ Exchange, which you can read more about on the school website.

Headteacher of Unity Community Primary School, Jude Lee, said: “We are so proud at Unity to have been reaccredited for the Gold Rights Respecting School Award from UNICEF UK. Children’s rights and the CRC are at the heart of all we do at Unity. Children are empowered through learning about their rights and are responsible and compassionate citizens of our world. Thank you to all of the children and staff, particularly our Pupil Parliament, who worked so hard to maintain our Gold status.”

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.

UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Professional Adviser, Sarah Hodgkinson, said: “We are very pleased to award Unity Community Primary School the UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting Schools Award at Gold: Rights Respecting. We met with children, staff and the wider school community who shared the fantastic work that is happening to promote and protect the rights of children in the UK and around the world. Well done on all of your hard work!”

This is a huge accomplishment for Unity Community Primary School and Big Life Schools, achieved due to the incredible dedication and hard work of all Unity staff and pupils. So, thank you and well done to everybody at Unity Community Primary School!

More about the UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Award:

The UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools initiative is aimed at schools across the UK, including those in early years settings. 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.

UNICEF works with schools in the UK to create safe and inspiring places to learn, where children are respected, their talents are nurtured, and they are able to thrive. Our Rights Respecting Schools Award embeds these values in daily school life and gives children the best chance to lead happy, healthy lives and to be responsible, active citizens.

Using the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as our guide, we are working with more UK schools than almost any other organisation. 1.6 million children in the UK go to a Rights Respecting School, and nearly 5,000 schools up and down the country are working towards the Award. For more information, visit unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools