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Original poster

Primary school "Star of the Week"

183 replies

littlemissmoomoo · 16/06/2019 04:57

At my children's school, each class teacher picks a child who is"Star of the Week". The names are announced in the weekly newsletter. In assembly on a Friday the children all go up to the front and are given a chocolate medal. And the end of each half term all the chosen kids have a tea party (cake and juice) with the head teacher.

The same children seem to get picked all the time. I know this because I have 3 kids at the same school. One seems to get picked every 3 or 4 weeks, one has been picked 4 times this school year and one has only been picked the once.

I personally think each child should get picked once and then repeat throughout the year.

My child who has only been picked once gets upset every time one of his siblings gets picked.

How does it work at your kids schools?

OP posts:
snitzelvoncrumb · 16/06/2019 04:59

It's done on a schedule so everyone gets a go.

Beautiful3 · 16/06/2019 05:28

I asked at our school and the staff said everybody gets picked twice a school year. So no-one gets picked more than twice a year.

TweeBee · 16/06/2019 06:24

I don’t know for sure but I’m sure there’s a similar system at my DC school as others. There must be some kind of rota or record taken to make sure everyone gets a go fairly.

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Jamhandprints · 16/06/2019 06:30

At my kids school and the one I work in, every child is picked once a term/ twice a year.

Pickledbrain · 16/06/2019 06:35

I'm a teacher and I pick those who have earned it.

whiteroseredrose · 16/06/2019 06:36

When I was a TA we kept a list of who had won what so that it was fair.

StormcloakNord · 16/06/2019 06:39

Seems fair to pick kids who earn it. What if kids are brats in the class and get star of the week cause it's their 'turn'. Not fair on the good ones is it?!

Leggyfrog · 16/06/2019 06:39

My school did away with this a few years ago.

Leggyfrog · 16/06/2019 06:41

It isn't missed

Bubblysqueak · 16/06/2019 06:48

Every school I've ever worked at has a list to make sure everyone has a turn.

Sirzy · 16/06/2019 06:50

I think making sure every child gets it once during the year is ideal. However too much “it’s his turn” type just means it’s pointless!

VenusClapTrap · 16/06/2019 06:52

Thankfully my dc’s school doesn’t do this. It sounds dreadful.

TreadingThePrimrosePath · 16/06/2019 06:53

All the schools I’ve worked in have had a rota, it’s done as part of PSHCE and everyone in the class has to say something positive about the child, which is included on a poster with the child’s photo.
Seems pointless not to give everyone a chance, there are extra ways of rewarding the continuously virtuous and good in addition to this sort of award.

hidinginthenightgarden · 16/06/2019 06:55

I think kids should earn it. I don't know how they do it at our school but I know my son has never got it despite always getting good reports.
I don't think it has been entioned this year so maybe they just do it in reception.

NellWilsonsWhiteHair · 16/06/2019 06:55

My eldest is only year 2, and the majority of my (many) teacher friends and relatives are also concentrated in EYFS/KS1, so this may be truer there than further up the school - but I think it’s fairly possible to do both, reward meaningfully and keep the numbers fair/ensure every child gets their turn. Checklist and tick them all off when they’ve had their turn, then start again, but don’t necessarily work through in that order. And know that for some children, you need to pay more attention to see the reason for the certificate.

Some of those ‘brats’ are the children who most need a bit of appreciation. Sad

Ca55andraMortmain · 16/06/2019 06:57

I'm a teacher and I genuinely think that although it's best not to choose the same child every few weeks (and to keep track of who has had a go to ensure that the quieter children are still acknowledged), making sure everyone has a turn, regardless of effort, behaviour or attitude to learning and school life makes the entire thing pointless. It's the same as insisting 'everyone's a winner' at sports day. The children should get recognised for their genuine achievements, so that when they win something they know it's a real accomplishment, rather than that they would have eventually got the certificate anyway without having to do anything to earn it.

MyOtherProfile · 16/06/2019 07:00

We did it on a rota at every school I've worked at that did it. However it was supposed to also be for merit. This meant that for some children you had to really be vigilant to find something you could give it to them for. However these were often the children who benefitted most from it. And to be frank, if you can't find something good to say about every child at least once throughout the year then there's a bigger problem.

MsTSwift · 16/06/2019 07:03

Everyone gets a turn but dd has worked out with this teacher if she doesn’t really like you the reason given for it on the certificate Is for a piece of work well done if she likes you for personal qualities Grin

Robotindisguise · 16/06/2019 07:08

My DD, who is dyspraxic (we now know) got it every year, once a year, in the week of sports day. She knew she was crap at sport. No matter how much she exceeded at her strong subjects, that never got her a star. It teaches some really odd lessons in my view. The kid whose behaviour in class was generally pretty awful often got it if he could hold his shit together for 5 days in a row. And kids who were sort of in the middle, working hard and hitting their marks but never struggling never seemed to get recognised.

JingsMahBucket · 16/06/2019 07:08

@MsTSwift oooh smart daughter for working out that system. And smart teacher too for creating system for herself so she can cover herself.

Chancewouldbeafinethlng · 16/06/2019 07:09

At ours the children nominate a class member.
My son has adhd and ODD so has never had good enough behaviour to earn it. It’s frustrating but I guess it’s something he will have to get used to as he grows.

floraloctopus · 16/06/2019 07:10

We had a class list and ticked off who it had been. We don't do it at my current school.

TreadingThePrimrosePath · 16/06/2019 07:13

@MyOtherProfile.
Yes, exactly that. Housepoints, merit marks, responsible jobs, listing achievements all target specific children for specific things. But how worrying to be a primary child that no one can think of positively for an entire year.

Andonandonan · 16/06/2019 07:14

I keep a record to make sure everyone gets it at least once through the year but some children will get it more than that. It becomes meaningless if it’s a pure rota.

There is no set policy for my school - some of my colleagues don’t keep any kind of records. I do because ime it is the ‘quiet middles’ that can get missed out if you don’t and they’re the children that really need it.

Zoflorabore · 16/06/2019 07:17

My ds is now 16 and went to my old primary school. They always did star of the week there. Dd is now 8 and in the same school and up until recently it was still the same,whole school assembly on a Friday and children chosen, went up to the front to receive their sticker and a small gift ie a pencil or a book.

It is now on a Thursday and takes part in individual classrooms. Not sure why. Dd has received it 4 times since September and it's normally for things like "making a lot in progress in X subject" and there are 3 "stars" which are 2 small awards and one main award.

Our school also has pupil of the term ( a boy and a girl in each class ) and pupil of the year ( ditto )