Published: Wednesday, 7th July, 2010 12:35pm

UNICEF award for Alloa school

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Pupils and staff at Sunnyside Primary are celebrating after becoming a 'Rights Respecting School'.

The Alloa school is the first in Clackmannanshire to have achieved the UNICEF UK Level 1 Rights Respecting School Award.

The school drew up an action plan in September last year and since then a range of projects have been undertaken to raise awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is at the heart of the award.

The idea of the rights and responsibilities of every child has been embedded in all aspects of the school, through class work and at assemblies, covering subjects such as children being evacuated during the Second World War and child labour in Victorian Britain. Leaflets on the project have also been sent home to parents.

The P7 pupils have led the work, visiting their younger school mates in class to promote children's rights and encouraging all young people to respect others and display a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities.

National Research has shown that the Rights Respecting Schools award can benefit children in a number of ways including improving their overall wellbeing, improving academic performance and enabling children to improve personal relationships. It has also helped to promote and encourage positive behaviour.

Staff at Sunnyside will now look at achieving a Level 2 Award, while P7 pupils will move on to Alloa Academy in August where they will be seen as major players in helping the Academy achieve its RRSA in the future.