April 27, 2026 08:07am
We are delighted to announce that Cedar Children’s Academy has been recognised by UNICEF UK with the Silver: Rights Aware Rights Respecting School Award. This achievement celebrates the progress our school community has made in ensuring children’s rights are understood, valued, and reflected in everyday school life.
The Silver Award recognises schools where children’s rights are becoming embedded into culture and practice. During the accreditation visit, it was recognised that pupils, staff, and families at Cedar are developing a shared understanding of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and are beginning to use this to shape how we learn together, treat one another, and make decisions as a school. This rights‑based approach is helping to foster relationships built on fairness, dignity, respect, and inclusion.
One area highlighted during the visit was the strength of pupil voice across the school. Our pupils are given meaningful opportunities to share ideas, influence changes, and take on responsibility through roles such as the Student Council, the Thinking Drive team, Play Leaders, and Peer Mediators. These opportunities help children to see that their opinions matter and that they can make a real difference to school life. This was reflected in pupil feedback, with one child sharing that “everyone in our school is equal, we all know the value of everybody.”
Our headteacher, Ms Baillie, shared her pride in the achievement and in the children themselves, saying:
“This award is all about our children. We are so proud of the way they use their voices, show kindness and respect to one another, and help make Cedar a welcoming and inclusive place to learn.
“It is also a testament to the dedication of our staff in championing the principles of rights, respect and responsibility, creating a culture where every child can thrive.”
The Rights Respecting approach is also having a positive impact beyond the classroom. Families have shared how children talk confidently at home about their rights and what they have been learning through assemblies, lessons and daily school experiences.
Reflecting on the journey to Silver, Mr Carey, Assistant Headteacher, said:
“Reaching Silver has been a really positive step for our school. Our pupils have embraced learning about their rights and have grown in confidence as they’ve learned how to use their voices to bring about positive change.
“I’ve been amazed at how our children have used the knowledge of their rights in a positive way to stand up for what is right and wanting to make a change in their community.”
Achieving the Silver Award marks an important milestone for Cedar Children’s Academy and is a testament to the dedication of our pupils, staff, and families. While we are proud to celebrate this achievement, we also see it as a foundation to build upon.
We look forward to continuing our Rights Respecting journey as we work towards the Gold Award, ensuring that every child feels listened to, respected and empowered to shape their own future.
