St. Columba’s Mission is to:

show respect for each other,

recognise the potential in everyone,

accept challenges,

and walk in the light of learning,

happy and secure in the knowledge of

  God’s love for us all.

UNICEF’s Mission:

‘is to demonstrate that the UNCRC when implemented properly has a strong positive impact on the wellbeing of children and adults’

The word RESPECT takes great prominence at the beginning of our Mission statement and it is inextricably interwoven into everything we do. It is an integral part of our school life in all its entirety. Respect has always been at the core of our “being” in St. Columba’s Primary School and Nursery Unit. Our constant focus of putting the children of the school at the forefront, heart and culmination of any and all its decision-making is paramount. It was therefore, based on our strong foundations and also a wish to increase our knowledge and embed children’s rights in our ethos, culture, policies and daily practice that I decided after becoming Principal to apply for Rights Respecting status because in doing so we would be putting the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) at the heart of our planning, policies, practice and ethos and very importantly we would unequivocally give all our children a voice and a platform so that they could express their opinions. A rights-respecting school not only teaches about children’s rights but also models rights and respect in all its relationships: between teachers/adults and pupils, between adults and between pupils.

RRSA is based on principles of equality, dignity, respect non-discrimination and participation.

To find out more about the Rights Respecting Schools Award please visit http://www.unicef.org.uk/rrsa