Eyemouth Primary School highlights their ‘rights respecting approach’

Pupils from Eyemouth Primary School are showing off their new playground boards, designed by charity Children First, which, as well as brightening up the school, work as an aid to highlight important information about the rights of the child, following the recently passed legislation - The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.

Following this milestone it now means that Scottish Children’s rights are at the heart of decision making in Scotland. One of the children’s charities who campaigned for years to help bring about this change is Children First.

It was Children First the school turned to following a pupil council meeting when they were learning about the Bill and their rights and tasked to make school playground boards to display the rights in and around the school.

The pupils wanted to incorporate their ideas as well as anything that made the boards unique to Eyemouth Primary School. Children First was more than happy to help pupils design the boards, putting their views at the heart of them.

Hetty Chapman, Scottish Borders Council, Principal Teacher at Eyemouth Primary School, said: “Working in partnership with young people is what Children First do, and they did it so brilliantly on this project.

“Staff and pupils could not be happier with the outcome. Eyemouth Primary School now has a set of amazing and informative Children’s Rights playground boards with palm trees at the front and the life ring to represent safety, unique to Eyemouth given its beautiful setting around the coastline.

“It’s important to the school that we support the local community, so we were delighted when we found a local supplier who was able to make the boards for the school.”

Adapting the designs that Children First had developed to help children and families across Scotland understand their rights, the pupils worked with the charity to group and display the rights visually in colour and related areas like safety, health and wellbeing, respect and justice, family, learning and play, thoughts and ideas. As well as working as a visual reminder for pupils, the boards help spread the message within the community and with visitors, they also showcase Eyemouth Primary as a Rights Respecting School (RRS).

Sarah Axford, Borders Service Manager at Children First said: “We’re really proud to be a part of this project alongside Scottish Borders Council.

“It has been great to collaborate with the school and the pupils to bring about their vision as well as listening to their ideas and making children’s rights so prominent in the school.

“Children First is committed to supporting Scotland to become a rights’ respecting nation and we’ll work tirelessly to make sure the UNCRC being incorporated into Scots’ law makes a difference to respecting and protecting children’s rights.”

Councillor Julie Pirone, Scottish Borders Council Executive member for Education, Youth Development and Lifelong Learning, said: “This a great way to showcase the school’s work upholding, respecting and promoting the rights of the child. It is key to helping the school along its journey to being recognised and accredited as a Rights Respecting School. I would like to thank everyone for taking part and coming up with such excellent boards.”

Eyemouth Primary School currently has Bronze RRS status but is working towards Silver Status, its aim is to empower children and young people, and inform the school community to know and understand the rights of the child in depth. Learning about them and enjoying exploring them through their everyday experiences. The pupils feel that being part of and recognised as a RRS is extremely important in the journey to a RRS world.

Lesley Munro, Scottish Borders Council Director of Education and Children’s Services, said: “I’d like to congratulate Eyemouth Primary School on achieving Bronze Status and will support their efforts to reach Silver.

“Rights Respecting is not just a school approach but an approach Scottish Borders Council and multi–agency partners are committed to embedding to create genuine practice, where children and young people are involved in the decision-making process as we work towards creating a true child-friendly Scottish Borders.”

For more information about Scottish Borders and UNCRC visit UNCRC in Scotland - Scottish Borders.

To download Children First's children’s human rights resources visit Children's Human Rights | Children First

Pictured left to right are Sarah Axford, Borders Service Manager at Children First and Hetty Chapman, Scottish Borders Council, Principal Teacher at Eyemouth Primary School with pupils.