School first to gain top UN rights award

FIRST in the North-West . . . (from the left) the Mayoress, Councillor Kay Knox, Youth Mayor Mohammed Adil, head boy Arbab Ghafoor, UNICEF RRS Partner Pat Peaker, head girl Mariam Akhtar, the Mayor, Councillor Jim McArdle, and teacher Jane Bell

FREEHOLD Community School has become the first in the North-West to win a prestigious award.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Oldham visited the school to see pupils receiving the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Level Two Award.

The accolade recognises schools which show a high commitment to promoting children’s rights and encourage youngsters to respect the rights of others.

The initiative involves more than 1,000 primary and secondary schools across the country, with many reporting a positive impact on pupils’ behaviour and attitudes, less truancy and improved academic achievement.

Pat Peaker, UNICEF RRS Partner for Oldham, said: “We are delighted that Freehold School is being credited with this award. The actions which have been taken at Freehold to implement the RRS have enhanced immeasurably the pupils’ development as global citizens.

“They are learning that to bring about change and to address the underlying cause of poverty and inequality, their voices must be heard by those with power and influence.

“They are being helped to develop the ability to engage with their own feelings and the feelings of others and to empathise with others on rights issues.”

School principal Joyce Williams added: “I was keen to work with UNICEF on this initiative and embedded the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child into the school culture. It underpins all school policy making, school improvement, planning and initiatives.

“The pupils had a role in formulating the aims for the next three years and our new school motto is ‘the world is our community’.”