St. Columba’s College, Portaferry, is celebrating after is has achieved a first in Northern Ireland.
The school has become the first post-primary school in Northern Ireland to achieve the UNICEF Level 2 Rights Respecting School Award.
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St Columba’s College Portaferry has scooped a top UNICEF award. Picturd are pu;ils with school principal Mr Michael Breen. [/caption]
The UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA) is based on principles of equality, dignity, respect, non-discrimination and participation. The RRSA seeks to put the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of a school’s ethos and culture to improve well-being and develop every child’s talents and abilities to their full potential.
A rights-respecting school is a community where children’s rights are learned, taught, practised, respected, protected and promoted. Young people and the school community learn about children’s rights by putting them into practice every day.
Ards Borough Councillor Joe Boyle from Portaferry, a local businessman, has congratulated the Principle of St  Columba’s College Portaferry  Mr Michael Breen along with the staff and pupil’s on being awarded UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School Award Level 2, describing the award and said it was ” fantastic news for the College, the entire community and the general surrounding areas within the Ards.
“This is the highest achievement possible and St. Columba’s College in Portaferry is the first post-primary school of any kind in Northern Ireland to have had such recognition – a truly magnificent achievement. I am absolutely delighted for the staff and students of St. Columba’s College. This is fantastic news for the College, the entire community and the general surrounding areas within the Ards Peninsula.
“I congratulate everyone on such an achievement. Â I believe it strengthens the case for education in the community, within that of any future educational proposals from the Department of Education. St. Columba’s College,Portaferry, has once again demonstrated the vital role that it plays within what is classed as not only a much sought after tourism destination but at times a geographically related isolated community.
“I therefore welcome such great news for the community and once again pay tribute to and thank all those who have contributed to achieving this very special accolade for St. Columba’s College.”
To achieve the UNICEF UK Rights Respecting School Award, St. Columba’s had to implement four evidence-based standards:
• Rights-respecting values underpin leadership and management;
• The whole-school community learns about the UN Convention on the Rights of   the Child;
• The school has a rights-respecting ethos;
• Children are empowered to become active citizens and learners.
Full accreditation was achieved by an external assessment process, whereby evidence was collated to show that the four standards had been met.
Recognition of Commitment – Achieved in 2011
The Principal and school leaders committed to becoming a right-respecting school. Children and young people worked alongside adults to decide how to develop a whole school rights-respecting approach. The school submitted electronic evidence to show the development of a baseline and action plan.
Level 1 – Achieved in 2012
The school implemented the action plan and made good progress towards embedding the values and principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and curriculum. Assessors visited the school to accredit progress.
Level 2 – Achieved in 2013
The school has fully embedded the values and principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into its ethos and curriculum across all areas of the school. Assessors visited the school to establish that the Convention is embedded.
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