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Original poster

Class Star of the Week

82 replies

ReceptionParent · 20/10/2014 12:51

Hi

I am wondering if anyone can point me to research on the impact of 'Class Star of the Week'.

My DS aged just 4, has been upset to not receive the star in his first few weeks at school. I understand from his teacher that his behaviour is good and this is not intended to be a negative assessment of him but a public celebration of another child's achievement of something celebration worthy such as 'being especially kind' or 'learning to follow rules'. One child per week.

He has told me that he has not had a star because he is 'not fantastic at school' :( I am aware of other children who have had similar conversations with their parents about this.

I understand that this system is widely used in schools so somewhere surely there must be a paper/study which underpins why this is such a popular system. Has anyone seen anything like this please?

Alternatively, if you know of good examples and are able to point me to the guidelines which are followed by the teachers issuing the stars in those good examples I would also appreciate that.

I am not trying to undermine the school here but I have real concerns about this system. I could write an list but am trying to keep my post concise.

ATM DS loves school and I would like him to continue to enjoy learning and enjoy being part of the school community also, I am worried this will switch him off over time.

Thanks for any help you can give me with this.

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MildDrPepperAddiction · 20/10/2014 13:05

I don't know about any research into this. Tbh I've never known it to be an issue either with other children or their parents.

I'm not sure how you can explain it to your dc however I'm sure you understand that they can't all be stars each week as this then negates the impact of this piece of praise.

Maybe speak to the teacher about it if you feel very strongly and see if she/he can offer any advice.

PlasticPinkFlamingo · 20/10/2014 13:07

What are your particular concerns? If there's 30 kids in the class, it will take a while for everyone to have their chance. That's going to be the case with most things where each kid gets a turn.

I say this as a parent whose DC was one of the last to be star of the week in reception. When she asked about it we just talked about the need to try new things, be polite, help tidy up, get along with other kids, etc.

MinimalistMommi · 20/10/2014 13:12

The silly thing is it's just done by register so every pupil will get a turn...eventually.

Eliza468 · 20/10/2014 13:15

I have similar feelings about these systems - especially when they're used to encourage those not previously behaving week and the standard lay well behaved children get over looked.

To be fair in our school there are 4 awards per class each week - Gold, Silver, bronze merit awards and a Writer of the week. Then there are two class bears who come home weekend and mid week - so effectively 4 a week - so everybody gets so etching within a few weeks and therefore seeing others get something is incentive.

Maybe suggest to school there is more than one award a week? I think the gold is announced I a ssembly and all the others in the classroom.

redskybynight · 20/10/2014 13:17

Every child only gets a turn if the teacher arranges it thus. Totally demoralising for your "average well behaved child" if this doesn't happen.

Though if you are in a system where everyone gets it eventually, this makes it a bit pointless.

Original poster
ReceptionParent · 20/10/2014 13:19

It seems though that if its just a case you have to wait for your turn, or if you feel you have done the same things that the current star is being applauded for that it becomes either meaningless, or you feel overlooked/ignored/demotivated.

It's fine for someone/some people to 'shine' honestly. Recognition of this publically would need to be for things the rest of the group could recognise as outstanding and/or measured in such a way that anyone has a chance of achieving it. Awarding for something different in different weeks is confusing also.

OP posts:
Sunna · 20/10/2014 13:24

It's been around in one form or another since the 50s.

You're overthinking this.

Original poster
ReceptionParent · 20/10/2014 13:26

I accept I may be overthinking this Smile

However it is having a negative effect, which may not be cancelled out when it is his turn/he is recognised.

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addictedtosugar · 20/10/2014 13:28

We're in Y1 now.
Never been the star. There have been more than 30 weeks, so some have had it more than once.
Only had one week which was bad (DH and DS2 on holiday, DS1 at school, me at work. It didn't go down well), otherwise parents evening we get told he is progressing well, and is a lovely child to have in the class. Just not star material, obviously.

Original poster
ReceptionParent · 20/10/2014 14:07

addicted How is DS affected by not receiving the star?

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PenguinsIsSleepDeprived · 20/10/2014 14:08

I also think you're focusing on the wrong issue really. Star of the week is a very tiny thing really - one kid gets singled out for doing well that week.

What I would say is the bigger issue is that your DS seems to be taking to heart not being 'the winner', when presumably the majority of the class also haven't 'won' yet. Does he struggle with that kind of thing generally - what about running races, or party games. If he has a general struggle in that area (lots of kids do at 4) it's something you can support him with.

If it's more an insecurity about school being played out through this issue, you can deal with that too.

I don't think 'star of the week' is really the problem. I think it's a symptom of another problem somewhere Smile

DeWee · 20/10/2014 14:16

Definitely overthinking. Save the anxiety for this point in the summer term, when it would be reasonable to go and just remind the teacher he hasn't had his turn yet. There have been 6/7 stars this term so far? So 23/24 ones who haven't been.

If you think you can hand over research to the teacher and get it stopped due to that research then you're going to be that parent aren't you?
And let's say you did: Probably your ds would come out upset because he would now never be star of the week.

If you did find reseach saying it's a bad thing, there's probably just as much out there saying it's a good thing. Because it's good for some, bad for others, you can probably prove whichever way you want to.

Over seeing others get awards for things he thinks he does, you explain that different children find different things hard, and so they're awarded for things they find hard. So as my dd1 put it rather neatly "you're given a golden award for what you're bad at, when you're not as bad as usual". Luckily her teacher chuckled.

And if your ds had been one of those that got it first, you'd probably find he was finding it just as hard not getting it for weeks in the summer when the others have their turn.

Floggingmolly · 20/10/2014 14:19

They usually make sure every child gets a turn. If your child has only been at

school for a matter of weeks; it's hardly surprising that his turn hasn't come round yet, at least 20 of the other children won't have had a turn either? Confused
If he'd been picked already, would you still have the same concerns? I doubt it.

Original poster
ReceptionParent · 20/10/2014 14:21

Penguin it isn't just DS, it is others I am also aware of with the same concerns.

He plays board games well and is accepting of other 'winners' I honestly don't think that is the issue.

DS feels he meets the criteria for which other children are being recognised but he himself has not been recognised. For him it is about fairness I think and not being recognised is leading to self doubt.

Many people have a strong sense of fairness.

How would you feel if your colleague received a financial bonus for effort but you felt you had worked just as hard and were equally deserving (but there was nothing for you as there is only one bonus awarded)?

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redskybynight · 20/10/2014 14:25

It does depend on how the school organises it. In my DS's case (and he was Year 5, he "got" how these things work) there were 2 stars awarded each week. DS could work out for himself that certain children got the star again and again, despite not necessarily doing anything that was any better than things he was doing himself. I'm sure this is great for the DC getting the star, but not so great for those that don't (and 2 lots of stars a week means 78ish times of not getting it). DS compartmentalised this both as " the whole thing is stupid anyway" and "I must be doing something wrong or I'd get it". Yes, of course we worked on developing a postive mindset, but there's only so positive you can be when evidently the whole thing is a bit random. He got the star in about week 3 this year, I have never seem him so happy!

Original poster
ReceptionParent · 20/10/2014 14:26

Dewe
Over seeing others get awards for things he thinks he does, you explain that different children find different things hard, and so they're awarded for things they find hard. So as my dd1 put it rather neatly "you're given a golden award for what you're bad at, when you're not as bad as usual". Luckily her teacher chuckled.

That is a great way of explaining, it thanks to your DD.

That would help DS understand better. It helps me understand Smile

I might use slightly altered phraseology Smile

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Floggingmolly · 20/10/2014 14:26

But there can't be a whole class full of "Stars"... What's rare is wonderful, and all that. The whole point is that they're made to feel special.
If your child had been chosen in week one; would you he still feel aggrieved every single week after that his achievements in that particular week hadn't been sufficiently feted?

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 20/10/2014 14:26

It's very early days though. There can have only been 6 or so stars. Just say to your DS that not everyone can be star of the week every time. Suggest he listens carefully, is kind to his friends, works hard at his work. Assuming they have parents' evening towards the middle of the year it would be fair to mention that DS is keen to have star of the week and hasn't yet (assuming this is the case) and that he's been working v hard on his behaviour etc.

PenguinsIsSleepDeprived · 20/10/2014 14:28

I am sorry, but that it a rubbish comparison. Star of the week comes every week. It isn't the same as a single annual bonus award. It's more like whether you get Employee of the Week or something.

A lot of what you are describing sounds rather like your feelings on it. Are you sure that you aren't building it up as an issue by keep discussing it? Most children would be fairly accepting of an explanation like "They can only choose one child each week and it will be your turn one day".

Have you really been discussing this with other parents only 6 weeks in? It does sound like, as a group, this has become a big 'thing'. I wasn't even particularly aware of SOTW until DD1 came home with it one day.

Handwasher · 20/10/2014 14:28

Personally I don't like these incentive systems. They always seem to work out unfairly as either the badly behaved children get them to incentive them for being good or the very clever high achievers get them. Either way there is a middle swathe that seem to miss out.

I also think that it's very hard for a young reception age child to understand the system or patiently wait for their turn as they do live very much in the moment at that age.

Original poster
ReceptionParent · 20/10/2014 14:31

redskybynight Thank you. ....ergo it is important and as such should be delivered carefully with proper predictable criteria and measurements that those 'in the frame' can understand. I'm sure your ds was not 'overthinking it' he was clearly affected and tried to come up with coping strategies. I'm glad he got the star and was pleased but wonder about the overall impact on him of the whole thing.

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Original poster
ReceptionParent · 20/10/2014 14:34

Floggingmolly I'm not sure really and as for your original comment I accept that if ds had had the star already I may have not have noticed the negative impact on the 29/30 who don't get it.

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Essexmum69 · 20/10/2014 14:35

I hate star of the week. It causes alot of stress to some children who spend a lot of time wondering what else they have to do to get it. In schools like ours, when everyone eventually gets it, the reasons for giving it to the final children are very wishy washy at best. DS, fortunately very laid back about it, told me "the really good children get it first, and children who are usual naughty but did something good one day!". DS is averagely bright and generally well behaved but probably talks too much. When he finally got star of the week it was for doing well in maths! Since this is his best subject, and he does well in maths every week this was obviously a case of the teachers not knowing what else to say, if he had got it for listening well or not talking so much, I might have believed he had actually earnt it.

ReallyTired · 20/10/2014 14:36

I think that star of the week/ pupil of the week is a bit pointless. Dd was pupil of the week during the first week. She was rewarded it because she helped another child with her spelling. How is pupil of the week going to moviate her to carry on being kind to others. Should a child be rewarded for expected behavour?

Conversely there are some children who are truely vile and giving them "Pupil of the Week" makes the whole thing a joke.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 20/10/2014 14:37

This reminds me a bit of my DD who was desperate in reception to get one of the two class stuffed toys. Each time she mentioned it I just very lightly said "Don't worry your time will come. They only have enough for 2 people to have them each week.". She was disappointed until her time came but it wasn't sensible to dwell on something that was out of our control. It was good that they had 2 different toys so everyone did get at least get it once over the year. It did also mean it was even sweeter when she did eventually get it (on a week when her grandparents were visiting so was really lovely).