Partou Woodlands Harrogate Nursery and Pre-school has achieved the first stage of UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Award, Bronze: Rights Aware which is presented to early years settings and schools that have begun to place children’s rights at the heart of their ethos and practice.
Partou Woodlands Harrogate Nursery Manager Emma Tordoff (right) and Senior Deputy Manager Chantell Land with the UNICEF UK Rights Respecting Schools Award.
The Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA) supports education settings to put children’s rights at the heart of their policy and practice, helping to create environments where children are respected, their talents are nurtured and they can thrive.
The programme seeks to strengthen children’s sense of belonging and voice and empower them to make a difference in their communities.
To achieve the award, the nursery developed an action plan setting out how it will embed children’s rights into everyday nursery life, supported by training and guidance from UNICEF UK.
There are currently three levels the Award: Bronze: Rights Committed, Silver: Rights Aware and Gold: Rights Respecting.
Woodlands Harrogate was one of 12 Partou nurseries around the country chosen to work towards the bronze award and is the first to receive the accolade.
Located in a woodland setting on Wetherby Road, Partou Woodlands Harrogate has been providing high-quality early years childcare and education to families in the town and surrounding areas since 2000.
Children have access to a large outdoor play area set within the trees, where they can explore nature, build physical confidence and let their imaginations run. The nursery also has its own allotment where children take part in gardening club, growing plants and learning about where food comes from.
Emma Tordoff, Partou Woodlands Harrogate Nursery Manager, said: “I found working towards the RRSA Bronze Award really straightforward and interesting.
“It was an opportunity to share the programme with the whole team, the children and their families, and to talk about what we are committing to and what that will look like in practice.
“For us, it was about introducing the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, helping everyone understand children’s rights and beginning to make those rights part of everyday life at Woodlands Harrogate.
“We are incredibly proud of our children and team and look forward to continuing our Rights Respecting journey as we work towards the Silver Award.”
In 2025, Partou - which operates more than 100 settings in the UK - announced a partnership with UNICEF to support UNICEF’s Early Childhood Education (ECE) fund, providing flexible funding to protect and promote children's rights everywhere.
In June of this year, Partou celebrated UNICEF’s International Day of Play by launching the ‘Partou Guide to Play,’ a specially produced publication designed to help families better understand how play supports children’s development in nurseries and at home.
Laura Clay, Partou Regional Childcare Director, said: “I am delighted that Woodlands Harrogate Nursery and Pre-school has achieved the Bronze Award as part of UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting Schools Award.
“The team’s achievement recognises their commitment to placing children’s rights at the heart of nursery life.
“Across all our settings, Partou is helping children to learn about their rights, respect the rights of others and understand that their voices, ideas and opinions matter.”
Sarah Hodgkinson, Professional Adviser, Rights Respecting Schools Award, UNICEF UK, said: “Congratulations to Partou Woodlands Harrogate on achieving RRSA Bronze: Rights Committed.
This is an important first step in embedding children’s rights throughout the nursery.
“We are delighted to recognise the dedication of the whole team and look forward to seeing how they build on this achievement as they work towards Silver.”