More than half of Cardiff’s maintained schools have now achieved Silver or Gold through the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award, and for pupils at Ysgol Glan Morfa, that commitment is something they experience every day.
The school is one of the latest to achieve Silver: Rights Aware status, joining 66 schools across the city that have demonstrated a strong, whole-school commitment to a children’s rights approach. This growing number reflects how rights-respecting practice is increasingly shaping learning, relationships and school culture across Cardiff.
At Ysgol Glan Morfa, pupil voice is a clear and established strength. During the Silver assessment visit, children spoke confidently about how their views influence decisions at both classroom and whole-school level. Through a range of pupil voice structures, pupils were able to describe meaningful changes that had taken place as a result of their ideas, from shaping learning experiences to improving wellbeing and safety. One pupil shared that children feel they are “as important as the headteacher”, highlighting a strong sense of partnership between pupils and adults.
Children’s rights are woven through everyday learning and school life, from classroom practice to assemblies and shared spaces. Shared rights language, visual prompts and pupil-led initiatives help make rights meaningful and accessible for all ages. Older pupils spoke proudly about supporting younger children to understand and enjoy their rights, strengthening inclusion, belonging and mutual respect. Pupils consistently described the school as happy, welcoming and supportive, and directly linked this to being a Rights Respecting School.
Staff and governors highlighted the confidence, maturity and leadership shown by pupils, noting how children take ownership of rights-respecting practice and support one another’s wellbeing. Restorative approaches are well understood by both adults and pupils, contributing to positive relationships and a safe, inclusive learning environment.
Headteacher at Ysgol Glan Morfa, Mr M. Tomos said: “I am incredibly proud that our school has achieved the Silver Award in the Rights Respecting Schools programme. This achievement reflects the commitment, passion and teamwork of our whole school community. My sincere thanks go to our fantastic pupils in the School Senedd for being such powerful voices for children’s rights, and to our dedicated staff and supportive parents whose contribution has made this award possible.”
Across Cardiff’s 127 maintained schools, 39 have achieved Bronze, 32 Silver and 34 Gold, meaning over 50 per cent of settings are now at Silver or Gold level. This progress supports Cardiff’s ambition as the UK’s first UNICEF Child Friendly City and reflects the city’s position as a national leader in taking a children’s rights approach to education.
Cardiff’s Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Sarah Merry said: “Cardiff’s continued progress in becoming a truly Rights Respecting city is something we can all be incredibly proud of. With more than half of our maintained schools now achieving Silver or Gold through UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools Award, children’s rights are increasingly shaping the culture, relationships and learning experiences across our communities.
“Ysgol Glan Morfa is a fantastic example of this ambition in action. Their recent Silver Award recognises a school where pupil voice is not only valued but genuinely influential, where children feel ‘as important as the headteacher’. The confidence, leadership and compassion shown by pupils at the school demonstrate exactly why Cardiff is leading the way nationally in embedding a rights‑based approach to education.
“I would like to congratulate the pupils, staff, governors and the whole school community at Glan Morfa. Their hard work reflects the very best of our Child Friendly City vision and shows how empowering children to understand and champion their rights creates happier, safer and more inclusive school environments.”
Cardiff Council’s Child Friendly Cardiff team provides ongoing support for schools at all stages of the award. This includes tailored support for schools not yet engaged with the programme, as well as focused guidance for Bronze schools working towards Silver, delivered by the council’s trained and accredited UNICEF Silver assessors.
An interactive map showing schools’ progress through the Rights Respecting Schools Award is available here, offering a snapshot of how children’s rights are taking hold across education settings in Cardiff.
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