What started with two parents, three pupils and a desperate need for a school for children with disabilities has become a national success story.

Undershaw Education Trust in Hindhead has been honoured with the Silver Rights Respecting School Award by UNICEF UK, recognising its commitment to embedding children’s rights across the school.

The award is part of UNICEF’s global initiative celebrating schools that put the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of their ethos and curriculum. More than 1,300 schools across the UK currently hold Silver status, with just 600 achieving Gold.

The school was originally founded as Stepping Stones by parents Larry Sullivan and Sandra Seagrove after struggling to find a suitable school for their daughter with hemiplegia.

“The school has grown from just three pupils to 102, and every child here is supported to flourish,” said Sandra Seagrove. The school moved to its current site in 2016 after it was purchased by David Forbes-Nixon, whose son Charlie has cerebral palsy.

Undershaw, which has been working with UNICEF since Autumn 2024, marked the achievement with a special assembly on Human Rights Day, December 10. Pupils performed a reimagining of Cinderella – focusing on the character’s denial of fundamental rights such as education and having a voice in decisions affecting her.

Headteacher Emma West said: “We are absolutely delighted to receive the UNICEF Silver Rights Respecting School Award. This recognition reflects our whole-school commitment to putting children’s rights at the heart of everything we do. Achieving Silver is an important milestone, and we look forward to continuing to build a school environment where every child feels valued, heard and empowered.”

UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Programme Director Martin Russell added: “We were particularly impressed with the way Undershaw puts children at the centre of everything they do and the importance they place on listening to children and young people’s views. We look forward to supporting them further on their Rights Respecting journey.”