Rights Respecting Schools

Gold Rights Respecting School 

We are delighted to announce that Pembury School has recently been awarded the Gold Rights Respecting School award. This means that we have successfully evidenced that Rights Respecting is embedded throughout our school and wider community. 

In a virtual assessment visit, we proved that there was teaching and learning about rights (in assemblies, lessons, displays), through rights (modelling rights respecting language and attitude and involving children in decision making) and for the rights of others (campaigning and allowing children to develop as rights respecting citizens). 

You can find out more about what it means to be a Gold Rights Respecting School below and more about Children’s Rights at Pembury on this website. 

Some highlights from the UNICEF assessor’s report include: 

• “Very articulate and passionate pupils” who demonstrate strong knowledge of children’s rights, social justice and global issues. 

• Children’s rights are explicitly linked to all areas of school life, including displays, curriculum, communications and the website. 

• Staff are highly committed and have engaged in extensive rights-based CPD, positively impacting teaching and learning.  

• Relationships are built on mutual respect and trust, with a strong restorative approach. 

• The school has a strong focus on inclusion, ensuring all pupils feel valued and supported. 

• Pupil participation is highly valued, with children actively influencing change within school and beyond.  

We are proud to be a gold Rights Respecting School, meaning that everyone in the school is committed to respecting, learning and teaching about Children’s Rights. We achieved the accolade, from UNICEF, in June 2026 and continue to celebrate children’s rights throughout school life. 

What is a Rights Respecting School?

As a Rights Respecting School, Pembury aims to put Children’s Rights at the heart of what we do. Children are respected, their ideas are valued and their talents are nurtured. The award offers three strands: teaching and learning about rights, teaching and learning through rights, and teaching and learning for rights. Each of these are equally important to us as we give the children the tools needed to become responsible, global citizens.

Using the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as our guide, children and adults discuss rights as part of learning, behaviour and daily life. We use a Steering Group of pupils, staff, parents and governors to ensure that our journey and vision to become fully Rights Respecting is consistent across the school community.

Further information can be found by clicking here

Celebrating Gold 

Pupils and staff at the school recently came together for a special “Gold RRS Festival” to celebrate achieving this prestigious award – the highest level of recognition in the Rights Respecting Schools programme. 

We are the first school in Tunbridge Wells to receive this award and one of only 13 schools in Kent. 

The whole-school celebration included a giant inflatable assault course, festival games, a Forest School treasure hunt, a disco, photo station, gold crowns and a surprise whole-school “GOLD” photograph. The event was designed to recognise the children’s achievements and the school’s commitment to ensuring that children’s rights are at the heart of school life. 

The celebration was made possible with support from the Pembury School Association, whose contribution helped create a memorable day for every child.  

2026 Toy Sale in Aid of Sudan 

The Rights Respecting Schools (RRS) Steering Group, recently planned and organised a toy sale to raise money for UNICEF’s Sudan Appeal. 

During an assembly, the children learned about the challenges faced by children in Sudan, including the lack of access to education. They discovered that UNICEF helps children continue their learning by providing essential items such as backpacks and educational resources. Inspired by this, the children wanted to take action and raise money to support UNICEF’s work. 

The school community responded with incredible generosity, donating a wide range of toys for the sale. Members of the RRS Steering Group took responsibility for organising and running the event, helping customers, handling sales and ensuring everything ran smoothly. 

The toy sale was a great success, raising valuable funds for UNICEF’s Sudan Appeal. We are extremely proud of the children’s compassion, leadership and commitment to supporting the rights of children around the world. 

Please see the poster below for details of the fantastic amount raised. 

2023 Visit from Greg Clark, MP  

One of the key campaigns that the Rights Steering Group have been involved in has been for universal free school meals in primary schools. In Term 3, children in Year 5 wrote to the local MP, Greg Clark, to ask him to join the campaign. Article 24 of the UNCRC outlines children’s right to food and water and pupils argued that it was crucial for all pupils to work on a full stomach. 

In response, Mr Clark visited the school on Friday 7th July to talk about this campaign. He was given a tour of the school by members of the Steering Group, who spoke to him about classroom charters and OPAL play. Then, he met Year 5 to explain the current approach to free school meals in primary schools. Mr Clark gave pupils lots to think about and has encouraged them to continue thinking of ways to support families who do not currently qualify for free school meals, but who are concerned about money during the ‘cost of living crisis’. 

Support Hope’s Home Campaign

One of our Year 5 pupils wanted to share the poignant reality surrounding a young girl named Hope, who is just 4 years old and is unable to reside overnight in her home. Sadly, following her mother’s passing, in Africa regulations dictate that she cannot spend the night with her father unless they have a two-bedroom home.
We have chose to support the initiative aiming to construct a suitable home for Hope. The charity endeavours to raise £6000 for this cause. The children participated in a competition where they were tasked with constructing and decorating a miniature house and to provide a monetary contribution. They raised £524. Take a look at some of the houses.

Update on Hope’s new house- building work has completed, take a look at her previous home, the early stages of her new house with her Father and the final build.

Sample of one of our class charters

Steering Group Meetings

Steering Group meetings are held weekly with pupil members. In these, pupils have worked on promoting rights through posters and assemblies, as well as planning events (e.g. at the summer fair). The minutes from previous termly meetings can be found below: