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With support from the Cattanach Trust, the Year of Childhood specifically focused on the Early Years Sector, namely identifying and amplifying good practice in early years settings. highlighting impact for children, families and communities. By engaging parents/carers in conversations/webinars around the importance of embedding children's rights in their earliest years and identifying good practice internationally via a webinar series, we highlighted the challenges and opportunities of embedding children's rights in the early years and encouraged new contacts (parents/carers, professionals) to join the wider Unfeartie network.

Our discussions, checklist and observations were focused on what a rights-based approach would be. We concluded that the foundation of rights-based practice is the following 5 pillars:

Rights-based relationships are based on kindness, empathy, trust, and belief in the human dignity of each and every one of us.

In your practice, how would you describe the relationships you have with children? Or the relationships you help foster between children?

How do you support children to thrive?

How do you think relationships in a setting can support the rights of the child?

When we talk about 'agency' it means that a person has a level of control and a positive sense of who they are.

We want children in early years' settings to develop a strong sense of who they are and to feel they can have and express their preferences, likes, dislikes, opinions.

What have you seen, or done, in an early years setting that would support children with things like having their say, being part of planning, leading activities, being recognised as an individual?

The concept of rights can be challenging for our youngest learners. It is important though that we help children to develop an understanding that their rights are central to everyday experiences and relationships.

Children might begin to develop an understanding that they have the right to be safe, to play, to be loved.

How could you help children understand their rights? You could think about how you or other adults interact with children, or perhaps some of the activities or resources you use.

When we think about how we promote, protect and fulfil the rights of children we need to remember how important we are as the adults in the room.

How would you describe the kind of person you are in your work with children?

How do you think children would describe you?

What personal qualities, behaviours, knowledge and experiences do you bring to help you be a champion for children's rights?

What are your expectations of other adults in the setting when it comes to how they are with children and indeed with each other?

To help us promote, protect and fulfil the rights of children we need to be able to talk about rights, to use the word rights and be clear it is what we are interested in. If we work to understand the 5 pillars we can begin to build confidence to use words that help us be clear about our commitment to the rights of the child.

How confident do you feel about talking about the rights of the child with other adults in the early years setting?

How confident do you feel to talk with children about their rights?

Can you think about examples of how you have or could talk with others about rights?

For full learning of these 5 pillars, register for a free account on our eLearning Hub and choose Early Years as your area of interest.
We have created a poster of the 5 Pillars, please find this to download and print for your setting here:

We invited feedback from practitioners who took part in our webinar series to help identify gaps in practice and guidance required. Examples of this are shown below and highlight that while there is a passion for rights in the Early Years Sector, guidance is still sought in how to implement this in the best way.

We filmed three different Early-Years settings, and interviewed their staff members to discover what a rights-based approach to Early Years looks and feels like in practice.

When you watch the three films from FossoPLAY, Cowgate Under 5's and Banchory Primary School's Nursery in Tullibody, which of the five pillars can you see at play?

We have developed a checklist mapping UNCRC articles along with GIRFEC and examples for corresponding evidence. You can download our checklist to print here:
https://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Early-Years-Settings-Checklist-Childrens-Parliament-2022.pdf
Incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) will bring multiple challenges as the country grasps this opportunity to make our society more inclusive and safer for all. One such challenge is that of baby and infant 'voice' and participation in decision making. Children's Parliament and NSPCC are keen to draw attention to this issue. As such, within our Year of Childhood programme, we hosted a conversation to consider these opportunities and challenges.

To kickstart this dialogue, we invited Professor Kay Tisdall of Edinburgh University, and Julia Donaldson of Glasgow's Infant and Family Team (GIFT) to share their reflections with us on the following question:

"What kind of changes, tools and practices are needed in the system to allow infants' voices to be meaningfully heard and understood in decision making, given the incorporation of UNCRC into Scots Law?"

The following videos capture the conversations that were first shared on Tuesday 29 th June, the tenth anniversary of the Christie Commission. The issue itself is too broad to resolve through these short videos, so we want to assure you that this discussion is an introduction to a larger conversation. We are planning a sector-wide, live-panel discussion, join the Unfearties and we'll keep you updated on this.

The full discussions between Carmel, Julia and Kay can be watched in the playlist below.

The snippets below are provided to highlight specific points in the discussions and to share with your networks.

Our speakers

Julia Donaldson has a background as a clinical psychologist and is currently the Clinical Director of GIFT. The Glasgow Infant and Family Team (GIFT) is a multidisciplinary infant mental health team. Julia and her team work with children aged between 0 and 5 years old who are in kinship care and foster care.

Kay Tisdall is a Professor of Childhood Policy at the University of Edinburgh. She is part of the childhood and youth studies research group and her own policy and academic interests are in children's human rights. She works collaboratively with children, young people and others on research projects addressing participation, in such fields as early childhood learning, domestic abuse and family law.

Carmel Faulkner is the Unfearties Project Lead at Children's Parliament. Her background is in education - specifically early years. Her experience includes leading nursery schools and children's centres. She has an MA in Early Childhood Studies and is currently undertaking her PhD with the Centre for Children's Rights at Queen's University Belfast. Her research seeks to understand the transformative potential of young children's perspectives on their human rights in early years settings located in Rwanda.

Webinars

Year of Childhood and Early Years: Where Are We Now?
30/11/2021
The focus of this discussion was to set the stage for further discussion of where the Early Years Sector currently is in relation to the implementation of the UNCRC.
We were delighted to be joined by Doreen Watson (The Care Inspectorate), Michele Doull (Early Years Scotland), Judith Walsh (Starcatchers) and Sophie Flemig (Cattanach).

The audience were asked to submit questions. See below for the speaker's responses to one that wasn't covered in the webinar time.

Question: How do we measure success, given what was said about smiles and the feel of a nursery?

Michelle Doull's Response:
Current practice within your provision supports observation, assessment, recording, and reflection of children's behaviour and relationships. Have confidence in the evidence you gather that captures the smiles, contentment, positive relationships, and upholding of rights, this is your measure of success. The principles of our Health and Social Care Standards underpin this and align with Realising the Ambition and Curriculum for Excellence. Staff and parent perspectives (where possible) will also support your evidence of success.

Doreen Watson's response:
How do we measure success? Success will look different depending upon where we are in our journey to recognising and promoting a rights-based approach. Small improvements will be important and there may be setbacks along the way. Ultimately, I think we measure success when we see children having fun, expressing themselves and benefitting from high quality care, play and learning experiences. Rights are not an add on, they are woven through every aspect of the ethos and provision of the service. Staff interactions with children are loving and caring and support children to understand their rights, not as an activity to be planned but as an everyday experience.
When we don't do, because we feel we must, because someone will evaluate our service poorly if we don't, but we do because we know it is the absolute responsibility of everyone working with and for children to approach their work with children's rights central to our approach. When we don't need to be reminded because it's a natural part of the language and actions in our society and rather it would seem strange not to work in this way.

Doreen's link to the Care Inspectorate's personal plans guidance:
https://hub.careinspectorate.com/media/4653/personal-plans-guide-elc-final-13102021.pdf

Michele kindly shared her slides with us, available here.

Starcatchers' links as mentioned by Rhona:
https://starcatchers.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/CS-Resource-FINAL.pdf
https://starcatchers.org.uk/work/making-my-mark-2019/

Year of Childhood and Early Years: Children's Rights in Practice | 14/12/2021
The focus of this discussion established what a children's rights-based approach looks like and feels like in practice.
We were delighted to be joined by Sarah Laing (Innerwick ELC), Lynn McNair (Cowgate Under 5s) and Jane Brumpton (Early Years Scotland).

Sarah has very kindly made her slides available for you to download here.

If you'd like to see Lynn's presentation in more detail, it can be found here. Lynn has also been kind enough to share the link to her latest publication with us - the first 50 downloads are free!

Year of Childhood and Early Years: A Parents' Discussion | 18/01/2022
This discussion focuses on the support parents need in order to engage with and have knowledge of the UNCRC.
We were delighted to be joined by a panel of parents, including Angela Phillips (Early Years Scotland), Liliane Unutesi (parent), and Jane Malcolm (National Day Nurseries Association).

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Rights-based practice in the Early Years - Children's Parliament

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With support from the Cattanach Trust, the Year of Childhood specifically focused on the Early Years Sector, namely identifying and amplifying good practice in early years settings. highlighting impact for children, families and communities. By engaging parents/carers in conversations/webinars around the importance of embedding children's rights in their earliest years and identifying good practice internationally via a webinar [...]

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The Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland

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Date published on site:

Our book for young children Illustrated by Corinna Campbell

"Let's Explore Our Rights" teaches young children about their human rights. The book which features iconic Scots landmarks is aimed at children aged up to five. It was beautifully illustrated by Corinna Campbell and takes readers on a journey to discover rights like having a safe home, being healthy, learning, and playing. The book will support early years practitioners to spark first conversations about human rights with very young children.

The book was created in response to requests from early years practitioners for a resource to help them talk about human rights with children. The book aims to explain in a gentle, age-appropriate way what rights are and why they are important, and to support even very young children to understand their rights and to challenge adults in power when they feel their rights aren't being respected. The children from Lochardil Primary School Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) played a vital role in creating the book, with their ideas helping to create and refine the illustrations, and some of their own drawings included. The book will be provided to every local authority nursery in Scotland before the end of term, with a Gaelic edition in production.

You can download or view a copy of the book below. We also have some physical copies available to order. Please email administration@cypcs.org.uk to find out more.

A reading of the book by Isla, age 8.

We also have a British Sign Language version of the book. BSL Version

Downloads

You can download or browse the book below. We also have some rights explorers badges which can be downloaded, printed, cut out and fed into your chosen badge-making machine!

We also have some physical copies of the book available to order. Please email administration@cypcs.org.uk to find out more.

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"Let's Explore Our Rights" is a beautifully illustrated book that teaches young children about their human rights through iconic Scots landmarks. This resource, supported by early years practitioners, aims to spark first conversations about human rights with children aged up to five, explaining in a gentle and age-appropriate way what rights are and why they are important.

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Nursery Charter with contributions from all children in the setting.

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Nursery Charter with contributions from all children in the setting.

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Children's Rights Quiz

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Turn data collection into an experience with Typeform. Create beautiful online forms, surveys, quizzes, and so much more. Try it for FREE.

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Highland One World - Mirrors and Windows Early Level Books

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Highland One World - Mirrors and Windows Early Level Books

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Highland One World - Seeds for Change Book Board (Padlet)

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Highland One World - Seeds for Change Book Board (Padlet)

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Fairtrade Foundation - Pablo The Super-Banana (For Early Years Groups)

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Fairtrade Foundation - Pablo The Super-Banana (For Early Years Groups)

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"Pablo the Super-Banana is on a mission to help younger pupils find out how bananas are grown and how they end up in our shops."

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Pablo the Super-Banana is on a mission to help younger pupils find out how bananas are grown and how they end up in our shops.
Note for Teachers
Pablo the Super Banana supports Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 learning goals around communication and language, understanding the world, literacy and art. Watch the film or download the story cards on this page to talk to your younger pupils about bananas and farming. You will need these resources to do the Alternative Learner Audit which will enable settings of children aged 3-7 years, or SEN learners to complete the audit which is a requirement for the Fairtrade Schools Awards.

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Pablo the Super-Banana (for early years groups) - Fairtrade Schools

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Pablo the Super-Banana is on a mission to help younger pupils find out how bananas are grown and how they end up in our shops. Note for Teachers Pablo the Super Banana supports Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 learning goals around communication and language, understanding the world, literacy and art.

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Dollar Street - "An online photo resource featuring photos from over 240 families living in 50 countries around the world which aims to upend stereotypes."

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Dollar Street - "An online photo resource featuring photos from over 240 families living in 50 countries around the world which aims to upend stereotypes."

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Dollar Street - photos as data to kill country stereotypes

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Imagine the world as a street. Everyone lives on Dollar Street. The poorest to the left and the richest on the right. Every else live somewhere in between. Where would you live? Visit Dollar Street and see homes from hundreds of homes from all over the World.

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Amnesty International - First Steps Resource Pack

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Amnesty International - First Steps Resource Pack

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Scottish Book Trust Resource - Taking a Rights-Based Approach to Fiction

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Scottish Book Trust Resource - Taking a Rights-Based Approach to Fiction

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Early Level Taking a Rights Based Approach to Fiction Resource

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We focus on “ a power a week” and have a rights warrior who has shown a great understanding

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This set of resources and guidance has been created in partnership with a racially diverse group of Early Level practitioners and educators in Scotland and tested with children in a number of settings. Guided by the Anti-Racist Curriculum Principles the materials support those working at Early Level and the children they work with to understand what an anti-racist curriculum can mean in practice.

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Early Years - Children’s Commissioner for Wales

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Following on from the success of our Foundation Phase lesson plans, we have a created an activity pack and training […]

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Skip to main content

On Friday 20 May 2022, the Scottish Government announced funding for UNICEF UK to offer our Rights Respecting Schools Award programme to all state primary and secondary schools in Scotland.

Currently, 75 per cent of Scottish schools are engaged with the programme and 743 have achieved the Silver or Gold stage of the Award where the impact of the RRSA is visibly recognised.

The grant from the Scottish Government will allow schools to register for the Award and access all training, accreditations and support for free until March 2025. This will remove financial barriers and give any school interested in becoming Rights Respecting the opportunity to do so, creating a lasting impact for children in Scotland. You can read more about the impact of the Award here.

While this funding will focus on embedding children's rights in primary and secondary schools, the Scottish Government supports UNICEF UK research into understanding how early learning and childcare settings integrate children's rights.

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RRSA in Scotland - Rights Respecting Schools Award

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Skip to main content Currently, 75 per cent of Scottish schools are engaged with the programme and 743 have achieved the Silver or Gold stage of the Award where the impact of the RRSA is visibly recognised. The grant from the Scottish Government will allow schools to register for the Award and access all training, accreditations and support for free until March 2025.

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TRS What are the Rights of the Child? 2014

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Children’s Rights and the UNCRC in Scotland: An exploration of rights in our communities

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Diversity and Inclusion Audit using key docs

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SBC UNCRC Early Years Training Session (1)

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All children have these rights no matter what their differences are - Non- Discrimination

The UNCRC applies to all under 18s, with no exceptions.

Governments should make sure that every child has equal access to their rights.

Governments should make sure that children are protected against discrimination.

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Rights Based Approach in Early Years - Edinburgh Council

An absolute wealth of resources, audits, information, ideas, CLPL and helpful links to support UNCRC in early years

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Welcome to the Children’s Rights Wakelet. This Wakelet is a collection of links to materials stored online which can be used to support rights based learning. These links could take you to the National Improvement Hub, Glow, Websites, PDFs or YouTube. This will make it easy to access materials from one place. Please check which are available and suitable for use within your Local Authority as well as age and stage appropriateness.
**Our lives have changed because of Coronavirus. Children’s Parliament want to find out how it is for children. Can you help children get involved in the national survey for 8 to 14 year olds How are you doing? May edition live now!** See link below

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Preparing and tasting foods from around the world.

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Focus Apps - Children spend a few weeks exploring features of different iPad apps. Guided access can be used to support safe, independent exploitation.

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Exploring celebrations, traditions and customs from around the world.

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Imagery representing Scotland and the wider world.

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Use of SHANARRI both within, and outwith the setting.

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Celebrating acts of kindess display.

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Regular updates / reminders shared with parents and carers through floorbooks shared via Showbie.

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Story books

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Responsive planning sheets up within the nursery -

Following the interest from the child, example of this may be if a child is interested in making rockets, providing them opportunities to make them.

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Children use voice boxes to explain the rights in their own words, this is then added to class charter and rights warrior of the week display.

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Can’t have chocolate all the time, or Nutella because of allergies

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Using Learning Journals to engage home with learning.

Parent consultations

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If going outside wear appropriate clothing

Suncream necessary

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keeping other children safe, e,g. Sweeping up sand

Outdoor learning & walks

Celebrating different cultures

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Stay and play

Question for feedback - white board or floor book

Parent involvement in trips

information booklets, posters

Open door policy for parents

Care plan plus

Regulation zones

Scripts

Positive script

Health visitor

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Right to education which develops my personality-

Example - having responsive planning sheets in the nursery which comes from the child led playing. Example if a child was really interested in making rockets, enabling and providing them with the tools and resources to do so.

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We focus on “ a power a week” and have a rights warrior who has shown a great understanding of what we are focusing on, this achievement is then shared with parents on Showbie.

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Children are able to use real life resources to enable life skills

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Celebrating achievements- Wow wall, proud cloud, showbie

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Celebrating achievements- Wow wall, proud cloud, showbie

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Using the rights book as a focus “story of the week” giving the children the opportunity to share what they have taken from the story. At Burgh the children took from the story that the characters looked like superhero’s and the rights are powers. Following on from this the children created their own super hero capes with the rights important to them illustrated on and then shared with this with the school and families at assemblies.

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Developing vocabulary around healthy eating 

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Developing vocabulary around healthy eating 

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Access to iPads, using guided access to support safety.

Using the smart board regularly to search and view information.

Providing a variety of books, differentiated to learner’s needs.

Books for all resources, including chat sheet and Gotalk resources to support all learners.

Variety of magazines

visitors - Childsmile, police,

Opportunities to go to assembly in primary school, learning from older peers.

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Sammy Safe, Safe Sally

Self regulation, having a safe space

Up to date care plans, care plan +, chronologies

Healthy foods, snacks

Example - child wanted to wear sparkly shoes to go on a walk, but adults knew that wellies were safer

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Area for children to self regulate

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Free flow - physical play, outdoor experience, risky play

Snack- lunch

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Variety of healthy food at meals and snacks

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story time is provided during the day for children who are wanting some quiet time

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Inviting parents in for a cake and cuppa to share their understanding of what they know about rights, sharing photos of their children actioning and understanding the rights.

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Hearing and respecting the voice of the child 

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Hearing and respecting the voice of the child 

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Children are provided with sleeping mats for comfort and safety

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Settings provide open ended resources to enable children to play and use the resources how they want with their imagination

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Children at all settings provide free flow play

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Children are offered quiet time due to cosy areas created. Opportunities daily to take themself for quiet time

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Children are offered cosmic yoga to help settle after lunch

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Snack Choices

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I have the right to get information in lots of ways, as long as it’s safe

• Children should be able to access information they can understand on TV, radio, in books and newspapers and on the internet.

• Governments should make sure children are protected from things that could harm them.

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I have the right to an education which develops my personality, talents and abilities.

• Education should develop children’s respect for other people’s human rights.

• Education should develop children’s respect for the environment.

• Children should learn about their own culture and other cultures.

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Adults must do what’s best for me - Best Interest

• When adults make decisions, they should think how they affect children and do what is best for them.

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My family should help me know and use my own rights

• My family should help me know and use my own rights

Governments should support my parents to realise my rights

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I have the right to be listened to and taken seriously.

• When adults are making decisions that affect children they should ask them what they think.

• Adults should take account of children’s views when making the decision.

• Children should be supported to give their views in a way that is best for them.

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Everyone should know about children’s rights

• Governments should make sure that adults and children know about the UNCRC.

• They should make sure they do this in an appropriate and active way.

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I have a right to rest, relax and play.

Adults should make sure children have the chance to play and relax in a safe, supportive and stimulating environment.

Governments should make sure children can be part of cultural and artistic activities.

When decisions are made about activities in the community, adults should include children in planning these

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I have the right to be as healthy as possible • Governments should make sure children can get good quality health care.

• Governments should make sure children have nutritious food and a clean environment so they can stay healthy