Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Primary School "prize giving"

29 replies

Patsygach · 19/06/2013 16:21

Is it me or is there others out there who are so fed up with current systems of prize giving to the "best" children and not celebrating the achievements of all the children. It was the same system when I was at school many years ago. Why can't schools evolve and progress and stop making lots of great kids feel bad about themselves. It's end of term in Scotland and we have a shamefully elitist system.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

CruCru · 19/06/2013 18:16

What sort of things are they rewarding? Are they singling out one kid for praise?

Periwinkle007 · 19/06/2013 19:09

I don't think our primary school do any sort of prize giving, neither did mine when I was a child, they did in senior school though.

paneer · 19/06/2013 19:57

it riles me that my consistent child doesnt get rewarded for her consistency

Periwinkle007 · 19/06/2013 20:00

I remember sitting through them in senior school watching the same children year after year getting certificates of achievement (think you had to get a certain average in the summer exams) and wishing they would just do some for effort because I knew I tried so hard. mind then if I hadn't got one I would really have been put out wouldn't I?

Lonecatwithkitten · 19/06/2013 20:10

Ours has prizes for endeavour and for achievement. There are also no academic prizes such as good citizen and sports prizes.

SparklyStream · 19/06/2013 20:16

Ours seems to give prizes for the 'achievers' and also the 'improvers', which seems to be a euphemism for the kids who don't get much help at home and could benefit from a bit of praise and encouragement. Nowt for the other kids, and neither are the parents of non-prize-winning kids invited to the actual event. How non-inclusive is that!

Wellthen · 19/06/2013 20:36

If everyone gets a prize they are meaningless. I say either do them properly (give them to children who have met the criteria) or don't do them at all.

I think yearly awards are bad because inevitably similar children will get them each year. But I dont dislike the idea of awarding the 'best' children per se. It relfects real life. To patronise and sugar coat for children does them a disservice I think.

simpson · 19/06/2013 22:50

Our school had a prize giving for the first time last year but so many parents complained that I am not sure if they are doing it this year or not...

DeWe · 20/06/2013 09:49

If everyone gets a prize then it doesn't really mean much. More a presentation than a prize.

What my primary did, was they had top boy/top girl and most improved in each year from 3-6. Year 5 would get some sort of swimming certificate, either: beginner swimmer, learnt to swim, 5m or 10m.
Year 6 had a swimming certificate (same as above but up to 25m). And about 15 trophies (music, badminton, chess, academic, citizenship, sport, politeness, effort... can't remember them all)that you could only get one of, plus cycling proficiency (if you got it) and a leaver's dictionary (which traditionally they rushed round afterwards asking the teachers to sign it-I still have mine)

As everyone knew that the swimming certificates were given to everyone, there was no pride in those, even among those pupils for whom it was an achievement. You used to see them disgarded on the way home.

ilovechocbuttons · 20/06/2013 16:56

Our primary did them last year for the first time.

It was rather baffling.

For example, one child got a drama award. DD's classmates were baffled because the child only had a small part in the the year group performance. Some brilliant performers got nothing.

The child who won the attendance award had time off sick. The child who'd had 100% attendance didn't receive one.

Peer group award (voted for by the class and class teacher mistakenly told the class who had won) was given to a completely different child.

Friend's DS won one for french. They had only done a bit of french in year 4. Friend said her son cannot remember any french!

Another child got one for maturity and being a role model. He'd been in a fair few fights.

There are many more examples. The awards at our primary are pretty meaningless.

SparklyStream · 20/06/2013 22:09

Lol, love it!

anitasmall · 22/06/2013 08:30

At my daughter's school 95% of the prizes go to Teacher's, TA's, helper's etc children.

LindyHemming · 22/06/2013 08:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CairngomRockHunter · 22/06/2013 08:45

We have prizes twice a year.
Every class has: academic achievement, contribution to school life, most improved.
Top year has: subject prizes.
Whole school has: music sport art drama achievement and improvement prizes.

Records are kept and referred to from previous prize givings. It is unusual for the same children to receive the prizes, but if there are exceptional reasons it can happen.

I think it works well, it spreads them around but they are still 'earned'

indyandlara · 22/06/2013 08:55

Our learners' assembly was yesterday. In my class we gave our 2 learner of the year prizes to 2 kids who have had a brilliant year but are not the top of the class. There is a whole school citizenship prize and a sports award. Within each class there is a merit system and certificates are issued for gaining merits. These are for a whole range of things. The top 2 kids are going out with the head on a trip next week. In our room the winners are one very academic child and one not so. In the year we celebrate all different types of achievements, not just the brightest.

indyandlara · 22/06/2013 08:57

Patsygach, you need to be asking your school how they are delivering the 4 key elements of CFE if they only celebrate the achievements of the most able.

mrz · 22/06/2013 09:10

We have an "award" for the boy and girl in Y6 who have made a consistent contribution to all aspects of school life in their time with us (voted by staff and pupils)

curlew · 22/06/2013 09:17

"At my daughter's school 95% of the prizes go to Teacher's, TA's, helper's etc children."

Yep. Course they do. And those kids are always Mary too.

Madamecastafiore · 22/06/2013 09:30

It's annoying. I never had cause to go into school for dd and so far haven't for DS. He gets disheartened at others being given special badges as in his and my opinion has tried just as hard and achieved just as much, I think with him it is just expected and the fact that I don't have a reason to go into school about anything.

I may on Monday though and say how this is effecting him at present and maybe rewarding consistency could be a way forward.

He even got mentioned in a school trip to the kids who went the following day for his excellent questions and no still nothing!!!!

waikikamookau · 22/06/2013 09:34

but if they all get awards, it may sound meaningless, but It would mean something to the child, and the parents of course.

waikikamookau · 22/06/2013 09:35

our primary used to do head teachers award and the head stated that the aim was for all children to get one over a year,
fair enough, and quite right.

they were quite funny though, the awards they came up with

being kind was a good one

Wellthen · 22/06/2013 16:25

but if they all get awards, it may sound meaningless, but It would mean something to the child, and the parents of course.

I don't think it would. Little ones yes maybe but by the time they are KS2 they feel patronised by these awards. I have heard children say 'it was only for 'trying hard' - anyone can do that!' or be annoyed that the child who clearly should have got the award (not themselves) didn't because another child 'always has a great attitude'

Great attitude and trying hard are things to be celebrated. But they should be the 'trying hard and great attitude award'. You get a sport award for sport achievement. Not just turning up to practice.

I sometimes think 'I'd love to do an awards ceremony for just my class' and give them all one for something nice. But then I realise there are a handful of children who, though lovely, are difficult to think of awards for.

An award for 'being yourself' or 'best pencil monitor' is like a 5p tip. You may as well not have bothered. Its insulting.

3boys3dogshelp · 22/06/2013 20:13

My son's school has a family assembly every week, where all parents are invited. Every week a class award is given to 1 child from each class for something. I've not seen the same child win it twice but they'll have to by the end of the year. It's a good compromise-they only win it iwhen they deserve an award but everyone gets a chance. This week awards included progress in written work, best at learning to tell the time (year r), maturity shown when helping a friend who is in a wheelchair at the moment etc.

prettydaisies · 22/06/2013 20:15

I struggle with this.

The best children in my class at football get to be in the academy at the local premier league team, the best musicians can audition for county music groups, the best singers and actors get the parts in the local drama groups' shows. I know these are all out of school things, but where do you go if you are the best academically?

Idonthaveenoughtime · 23/06/2013 00:01

Our school had effort and achievement certificates.
I think the important thing is that children are taught to compete in a friendly way, and acknowledge their own strengths and weaknesses, and how to do better.
Meritocracy based on competition is a truer reflection of society, and it's going to be a very tough economy our children are growing up into.
I think learning about competition, and that not everyone can be the best at something, (and not without working extremely hard at it in most cases) is not a bad lesson to learn early. Too many kids just expect things to happen to them without lifting a finger because that's 'fair' and they deserve it.
Life isn't fair.
Most people who were led to think they could be or do anything in life when they grew up probably became very disillusioned when they realised that very few actually achieve it and usually it requires years of dedication and effort and there's a lot of luck involved.

Learning to be the loser once in a while toughens kids up to failure, and a healthy attitude towards competition helps them get up and keep fighting.

But yes, recognising effort is an important part of this too!

Flip

1 2