Uplands Junior School in Wolverhampton has retained UNICEF UK’s Gold status under the Rights Respecting School programme, the highest award given through the scheme.
The school was recognised for continuing to place children’s rights at the centre of school life, including planning, policies, classroom practice and relationships across the school community.
Gold status for children’s rights work
The Rights Respecting Schools Award is given to schools that show a clear commitment to promoting and realising children’s rights, while encouraging pupils and adults to respect the rights of others.
Gold is the top level of the UNICEF UK programme. According to the council, Uplands Junior School is one of around 600 schools across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales to have achieved the Gold standard.
The award is linked to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and recognises schools that embed those principles into their ethos and everyday practice.
Uplands response to the assessment
Headteacher Suzanne Webster-Smith said the school had worked with UNICEF for a number of years and was pleased to have sustained its Gold assessment.
She said the result reflected “the emphasis on rights and respect that underpins everything we do at Uplands”.
UNICEF’s assessment report praised pupils at the school as “very articulate children” who show a good understanding of rights and confidence in discussing the concept.
Evidence across school life
UNICEF also found that children’s rights remained embedded across the school and continued to underpin school life more broadly.
Councillor Jacqui Coogan, City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said schools in the programme work towards recognition that children’s and young people’s rights are embedded in practice and ethos.
She said participating schools must meet three evidence-based strands covering leadership, knowledge and understanding of children’s rights, ethos and relationships, and the empowerment of children and young people.
Coogan congratulated Uplands Junior School’s pupils and staff for retaining the accreditation.
Source: City of Wolverhampton Council
Source check Source trail
This brief is based on the City of Wolverhampton Council release dated 2 June 2026 and keeps the award details within the stated source facts.
- Confirmed the school named in the release is Uplands Junior School.
- Checked that UNICEF UK Gold is described as the highest Rights Respecting School accolade.
- Verified the named roles for Suzanne Webster-Smith and Councillor Jacqui Coogan.
- Kept the geographic scope to Wolverhampton rather than the council as a place name.
- Source
- City of Wolverhampton Council
- Scope
- Wolverhampton
- Updated
- 2026-06-03 22:43
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