Primary school "Star of the Week"

[littlemissmoomoo]

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?

Oh do Norfolk - I did one year and it was an admin error - DD got it the next week

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

God yes. I sent my kids into primary school in the naive belief that each child would be cared for as a young child, not a salesperson with a bell to ring on achievement. What's that expression about fish not being good at climbing trees?

I worked at a teacher training institution and I think all the anxiety around results, ofsted and sats is blinding us to what's happening and squeezing the life out of teachers' vocation and instincts. Plus forcing thousands out of their vocation in despair. One of the trainers said she secretly felt shit about the reality she was sending her students into.

At primary, one of my dcs was compliant, anxious to do everything right and 'good at' the various lessons. My other was later diagnosed with adhd and had serious anxiety later in childhood. He couldn't sit still in Reception and was made to feel like shit throughout primary. My 'compliant' child was too quiet to get noticed so she never got awards or stuff either.

I wish our society could nurture and appreciate childhood rather than test and regulate and make 'different' kids feel like shit. Fuck, doesn't the world need carpenters, cooks, doctors, carers etc - ie the full range of skills not the one narrow path.

After all my dcs' school experiences, I am utterly disillusioned and cynical. We eventually put ourselves into debt to put my child who has adhd into private school and I just feel so sad that it was only then that he was treated with visible kindness and was able to flourish. And has (although at this stage I don't give a shit about results - just want him happy) gone to near top of class. Kindness and understanding is what he desperately needed and it is worth being in truly frightening debt for. Isn't that fucking sad.

Oops sorry for long rant. I think I'm angry

Pretty sure our school keeps records so that every child gets it at least once a year - some do get it twice and others don't, but that is down to merit. It's also got two awards each week - one for achievement, and one for displaying school values.

@TreadingThePrimrosePath But how worrying to be a primary child that no one can think of positively for an entire year.

This made me cry bless you for putting my feelings into words. Exactly right.

I have a list to make sure everyone’s getting a turn but some children do get more turns. You can always “catch” them doing something nice whether it’s a difficult child helping a smaller child out or sharing a snack or something doesn’t have to be academic.

DS’s school don’t do this thankfully. I don’t like it.

Child of the week here with a badge to wear for the following week. Everyone gets a turn and there's always a lovely little comment from the class teacher on the Friday assembly. The kids love it and it's a really nice part of the school week.

My DC had all worked out by year 1 that everyone got it, although DD1 still liked to get it, it meant the other two were less bothered.

At juniors the classes clearly had the same ordered system to the order they gave it. Dad put his up on the wall and he got 2 certificates a year each with the same fortnight. I suspect the first was alphabetical by surname and the second was alphabetical by first name, from the timings.
I thought that was particularly bad.

Ds not dad 😂 dad didn't get any.

@NorfolkEnchance

@Witchend so unfair to your dad 😂

and this week one of the naughtiest children in the class got it for a second time

THAT I would seriously complain about.

I hate the way of thinking that the "good" kids get completely ignored when the naughty ones are made a fuss about because they have listened once for 30 seconds.

It does happen, and the kids know it. Wrong attitude on so many levels. Someone who constantly push himself and has a good attitude should be rewarded for it, not being ignored because he's not making trouble anyway.

and this week one of the naughtiest children in the class got it for a second time.

Those of you talking about the 'naughtiest children in the class', have you ever stopped to think why you have that perception of them?

Would you be happy with a child who was being sexually abused (for example) to be labelled as the naughtiest child in the class?

What about the child with a parent who was terminally ill?

What about the child with a medical condition which keeps them awake all night?

All of those children could have some really challenging behaviour that needs to be dealt with but none of that would mean they should be labelled as the naughtiest child in the class by parents or teachers.

they could

but in most cases, they really are just naughty and a disturbance to the class.
Not fair on all the others.

It did make me laugh one year when DS1 got it on the last week of term. When I asked what he had done to receive it, he replied ‘Mr X said to put your hand up if you’ve not had it yet this year’

I'm pretty sure our school does it on a rota but also based on achievements. So they will look at who hasn't won recently and see what those children have done that week. Everyone deserves a chance to win, even if the achievement is not as big as others.

but in most cases, they really are just naughty and a disturbance to the class.

How do you know this? Teachers do not routinely share information about the causes of challenging behaviour with pupils and parents.

I'm amazed at the posters who seem to have spreadsheets on who's naughty, who's had it, who hasn't, who's had it twice, who doesn't deserve it etc. Unless you are in the classroom all day, every day you have no idea on what goes on and the machinations that make the class function as well as it does. It's never perfect, in fact just like at home with one or two children, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. And as for going in and querying why a 'naughty' child got an award twice...

but in most cases, they really are just naughty and a disturbance to the class. Not fair on all the others.

@EnglishBreakfasts are you a teacher?

I haven't a clue even if they do it at ds school. But I'd expect the best behaviour will win?? Maybe that's simply the same children each time?

Bloody hell, I hope not, UnRavelling. Or a TA.

This happens at my sons school too, I hate it. At infant school they are all stars every week. It's totally Unnecessary in my opinion. Some teachers like their little bit of power!!

@floraloctopus nobody is talking about abuse . We are specifically talking about naughty behaviour. Some kids in ds class are naughty little so and so's. Why should they be priority over a child who genuinely is good in the class?

Bloody hell, I hope not, UnRavelling. Or a TA.

Same. There is no way I'd want to see a teacher with an attitude like that.

Some kids in ds class are naughty little so and so's

How do you know this? I refuse to believe that a child is going to decide that they are going to be naughty just for the hell of it. There is always a reason. You might choose to interpret that reason or cause as being a 'naughty little so and so' but I'm not buying it.