Rights Respecting Schools Award Update

This term, we have started working towards the RRSA Silver Award: Rights Aware. This means ensuring that everyone in the school community is aware of Children’s Rights and embedding Rights into everything we do at school.

 

The Steering Group met before Christmas, and decided that the three Rights they want to focus on this half term are

• Article 28: Access to Education
• Article 23: Children with Disabilities
• Article 24: Health, water, food, environment

The Steering Group are currently preparing for our RRSA Assembly at the end of this month, when they will be teaching students the difference between Rights Holders (the students) and Duty Bearers (the adults around them, including parents, carers and teachers). They will also be ensuring that everyone understands the ABCDE of Rights. These are the fundamental principles that underpin Children’s Rights.

In addition to our assembly, we are starting to increase awareness of rights in our school community by putting up posters of different rights around the school, in appropriate places. For example, when students are around the playground equipment, they will see that they are enjoying Article 31: The Right to Rest, Play, Relax and when they go to ICT, they will see that they are enjoying Article 17: The Right to Access Information and Media.

We all have lots to learn, but we are excited to ensure that our students do know about, and can enjoy, all their Rights. If you would like to know more about the RRSA Award and the UN Convention of Children’s Rights, you can find out more here https://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools or contact our RRSA co-ordinator liz.holop@thevalley.herts.sch.uk.

Year 11 Catering

On Wednesday 8^th January the Year 11 Catering students supported at the MHST coffee morning serving teas, coffees and biscuits. The students were absolutely fantastic and made us all so proud! Even when a queue built up, the students remained calm and focused and served all customers with a smile. Thank you to all parents, staff and students who supported the team; it’s greatly appreciated and helped to give the Year 11s the chance to shine and show off everything they’ve learnt!

Golf at The Valley – A fantastic donation from Richard and Alyson

Mr Holop has been instrumental in introducing the sport of golf into The Valley School.  He has fostered a relationship with Richard Hale and Alyson Nedza who have kindly donated a tremendous amount of golfing equipment to the school.  Alyson’s son is an ex-student who is now working successfully for the local council.

We are so appreciative of the equipment and Dylan from year 10 is very excited about testing it all out over the next few days and weeks.

Outdoor Learning

During Year 9 Outdoor Learning the students worked together to construct a model frame of a shelter.  They demonstrated excellent communication skills and cooperated well as they built the structure.

Year 9 Be the Band Workshops

Year 9 started their sessions with Be the Band this week. They enjoyed playing different instruments through keyboards and drum pads to create their own version of pop songs. These workshops have been offered to us, fully funded, which is wonderful and will form part of the students’ Arts Award Explore.

Do follow the link for more information:

https://betheband.co.uk/our-work/