DORCHESTER RIGHTS, RESPECTING SCHOOLS

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DORCHESTER RIGHTS, RESPECTING SCHOOLS

• 12 FEBRUARY 2008

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• Portchester Community School
• a Rights, Respecting, International Performing
  Arts School in Hampshire

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PORTCHESTER COMMUNITY SCHOOL

• Mixed Comprehensive, 96 white
• 765 students
• 11 16
• 20 from area of social deprivation
• 2.5 physically disabled
• Specialist School in Performing Arts especially
  Music. (Steel Pans, World Music)

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PORTCHESTER COMMUNITY SCHOOL

• Partnerships with Brookfield
• Linked with four main junior schools
• 75 of students go on to college,
• 20 into apprenticeship/employment
• 5 dont know (NEET)

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How did Portchester Community School become a
Rights Respecting School?

• Strong school policies on Intercultural
  Education, Equal Opportunities, Inclusion
• Strong commitment to ensure policies work by
  Senior Leadership Team
• Determination that UNICEF Rights of the Child
  must be part of the curriculum
• Realisation by Senior Leadership Team that RRS
  process was about changing ethos of school
  (inward looking to outward looking)
• RRS gave focus and impetus to the developments in
  school and beyond

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How? Practical Examples

• Split off from School Council and formed separate
  R, R R Group
• Kept School Council and R, R R as equal status
  in school
• Built and sustained link with secondary school in
  South Africa
• Devised training days that involved students from
  school and junior schools
• Opened up R, R R Group to all staff
• Big important noticeboard in Student Reception
• Make Fair Trade Fortnight part of the School
  Calendar

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HOW?

• Link all assemblies to both ECM and UNICEF
  Articles
• Report to Year Group Assemblies on Minutes of
  School Council/R, R R Group
• Rotate Chair of School Council and R, R R
  Groups
• Invite locally elected Councillors to attend
  meetings, (ask them what R, R R means to them)
• Organise training on difference between wants
  and needs for Year 7 and 8 (PSHE? Citizenship?)
• Make Citizenship a compulsory GCSE in Key Stage 4
  (link coursework to UNICEF)

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HOW?

• Enter competitions which have a social justice
  agenda (5 boys went to Goa on Linvoy Primus
  Challenge)
• Involve the local Youth Service
• Involve Local Authority inspectorate for advice,
  guidance and training
• Share your work with other schools and colleges.
  (Our R, R R Group are going to South Africa in
  April to help build a 3-R Group in our Link
  School)

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HOW?

• Find ways of ensuring key principles are embedded
  in every learning environment
• Put all the Rights of the Child around the school
• Display UNICEF, Christian Aid, Fair Trade,
  Greenpeace, CAFORD Posters in the Dining Hall
• Develop P4C in the school

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Find every opportunity to celebrate
achievements and encourage/empower others to keep
the flame alive.Thank-you for listening