A SCHOOL has received the highest award Unicef gives to young people for acting as community and global ambassadors.

Newfield School has been given the Rights Respecting School Award by the world's leading organisation for children.

The honour for the Blackburn special school comes after pupils from primary school aged up to 19 took Unicef’s message into other schools at home and abroad.

Pupils have been teaching mainstream pupils in the town about Unicef’s work.

As well as setting up in-school councils and debates they have been acting as ambassadors at local primaries and online with schools in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

They are one of only ten schools in the north west to have achieved the award.

To become a Rights Respecting School, schools must first encourage pupils to have a voice and take part in decisions.

Deupty Headteacher Jenny Riley said: “Special needs students teaching their mainstream peers is something quite different and it has worked really well. e pupils have held assemblies at local primary schools then all the children have taken part in activities together.

“Unicef recognises a schools achievement in putting these rights at the heart of their planning, policies, practice and ethos. Children’s rights are central to all aspects of Unicef’s work.

“We believe that this award is particularly relevant to us because it celebrates issues central to our work in ensuring that all children have their rights protected in an inclusive and respectful school culture and that this is celebrated.

“This means that our students are given even more meaningful opportunities to voice opinions, to participate fully in all aspects of their schooling.” To see Newfield’s Unicef achievements visit newfield.org.uk