This achievement places the school among a growing number of establishments in Falkirk that have reached the highest level of recognition by UNICEF in the UK.

Creating the right environment

The Rights Respecting Schools Award aims to create safe and inspiring learning environments where children’s rights are respected, helping students reach their full potential.

The ‘Gold’ status is granted to schools that demonstrate a comprehensive approach to embedding children’s rights into their culture, policies, and daily practices.

The achievement is particularly significant as it comes in the same year the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 came into effect, further embedding children’s rights into Scottish legislation, and is the first in the UK to do so.

Securing gold

To achieve ‘Gold’ status, Falkirk High School collected evidence showcasing how they promote children’s rights within the school community, encouraging both students and staff to respect the rights of others.

This included the development of a daily breakfast initiative for pupils, a uniform bank, providing study support, developing the Falkirk Foodhall and a Christmas gift drive.

The school continue to promote children’s rights through daily practices and global campaigns, such as global healthcare awareness, period poverty campaigns and lessons on the ABCDE of rights.

Pupils at Falkirk High celebrated the milestone with a gold-themed magic breakfast, marking the occasion in a way that reflected the collective effort of the school community.

Leading by example

More than a quarter of schools in Falkirk have now achieved ‘Gold’ status, with others following suit working towards upgrading from ‘Bronze’ and ‘Silver’ levels.

Stuart Kelly, Head Teacher of Falkirk High, said: “As a school we are very proud of the work that has been carried out to embed children’s rights across our school community.  We are delighted that the hard work of our pupils and staff has been recognised through achieving our Gold Award and we will continue to ensure that children’s rights underpin our positive culture and ethos within the school.  Our Rights Respecting School Steering Group, under the leadership of Miss Grant, have worked incredibly hard to achieve the award and can be proud of the impact they have had on the wider school community.”

Amy Grant, RRS Coordinator at Falkirk High, added: “I am so proud of the work that our young people and school community have done to become a Gold Rights Respecting school. It really feels like we have created an environment in which our pupils, staff and wider community have an understanding of the UNCRC and its importance. I am confident that this will continue through the amazing work our steering group continue to do in raising awareness of local and global rights issues.”

Councillor Iain Sinclair, spokesperson for Education, said: "Achieving ‘Gold’ status is fantastic accomplishment that reflects Falkirk High School’s commitment to embedding children’s rights in everything they do. With a growing number of our primary and secondary schools achieving or working towards their own ‘Gold’ status, they are helping to place children’s rights at the heart of education. This ensures our schools are not just places of learning but also environments where young people feel supported and respected. Congratulations to everyone at Falkirk High for their hard work and for setting a strong example for others to follow."