WEST Dorset MP Chris Loder dropped by the Sir John Colfox Academy in Bridport to speak with students.

Mr Loder was invited by student ambassadors to visit the school on Friday, February 28 and hear about how it is working to become a Rights-Respecting School.

He was greeted by the school’s headteacher, Adam Shelley, and staff before he was given the opportunity to speak with some students.

They discussed how the school is aiming to put children’s rights at the heart of its teaching and learning as it strives to achieve UNICEF Gold accreditation.

The visit had been planned by Y10 student and UNICEF Youth Ambassador Eddie Rose who chaired a lively debate with Mr Loder and students on the importance of all children in the UK being taught the rights they hold under the United Nations Convention.

As children better understand these rights, so they also understand how important it is to honour the rights of all others in the school, and globally through displaying respectful behaviour.

Mr Loder offered to organise an opportunity for students to visit the Houses of Parliament and meet with a wider group of MPs to explore the issue of children rights further.

Speaking after the meeting, Eddie Rose, said: “It was a valuable experience meeting Mr Loder, and we are looking forward to working with him to take action on UNICEF's priorities - ensuring all children survive and thrive, adopting the Convention of Child Rights into UK Law, and helping reaffirm our role as a compassionate, ambitious and outward-looking nation.””

Mr Shelley said: “When Eddie asked if we could invite Mr Loder in to visit Colfox and for him to hear from our rights ambassadors of course I said yes. This was a great way for them to show the hard work they have done to develop the rights of the child in Colfox and across the Bridport community and put this on the agenda at a national level.”

“They ambassadors are looking forward to their visit to the houses are parliament and I hope that they will be able to share their work with other ministers. It is so important for all children to learn about their rights and hopefully this will help promote UNICEF rights of the child to other schools and communities nationally”

Colfox is a partner with the Bridport Rights-Respecting Town project and is actively partnering with Bridport Primary School and Mountjoy school to support their Rights-Respecting School accreditation.