Our Student Council told us that the most important things for them as pupils at Montacute School were ‘LEARNING, FUN and FRIENDSHIP’.

Each child and young person should also feel safe, happy, cared for and be healthy at school. These values are extremely important to us too.

We also believe that it is crucial that every child and young person has a ‘voice’ that ensures that they are able to communicate their wants, needs and dreams.

Every pupil at Montacute is given the opportunity and the support to be able to communicate their own individual needs, but they are also enabled to participate to decisions about school life, for example choosing our school logo, or the name for our new school pool.

By showing respect for each other, and understanding the world we live in, our pupils are supported to become active citizens in their community.

In 1989, governments worldwide promised all children the same rights by adopting the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). These rights are based on what a child needs to survive, grow, participate and fulfil their potential. They apply equally to every child, regardless of who they are, or where they are from.

As a Rights Respecting School, we have adopted the UNCRC, and we put children’s rights at the heart of our school’s culture and ethos to help all children realise their potential.
Not only do the pupils at Montacute learn about their rights but also their responsibilities. For example (Article 24 of the UNCRC) states that ‘a child has a right to a clean environment so they can stay healthy’.

It is important that children also learn that they have a responsibility help care for their environment including their home as much as they can.