Awards, certificates

[windwind]

There's 30 kids and about three kids are awarded each week. My kid made the top three only once throughout the year (got a certificate for kindness).

My dc has started the year v shy, had her struggles making friends, settling in, now has friends, is much more comfortable speaking up, joining in, English is not her home language - she's a top set reader, great comprehension, has always done her homework... She's achieved a lot (in her parents' eyes!).

Kids that have been hurting (bullying) others have had more awards, new kids that are often absent/late have already had more awards.

I understand they are used to encourage disadvantaged / struggling kids. However, I would've expected at year one for them to be given out to everybody almost equally as surely there's always something positive you can focus on each child and all children need encouragement. And when they are not chosen again and again it impacts their confidence.

Can someone explain the rationale/ practicalities/ determining criteria choosing to reward certain kids over others at school?

I'm just trying to understand is there generally a measurable criteria for school rewards at primary school, basically.

Are you sure and can prove it?

Every teacher I know has a class list and makes sure that each child is chosen and has the same number of rewards as the others. Okay, realistically throughout the term/year, maybe some will get three and others two but that's just because sometimes we have run out of time. Housepoints might be different. Sometimes a child will get more because it's amazing that they can even sit still on the carpet and the ones that can dont always get the credit, but teachers are very mindful of making sure it's as even as it can be. Even counting the number of lines in a show or assembly to ensure no one can say it's unfair.

Personally I think the whole awards thing is rubbish. Either you distribute them evenly between the kids as pp says, in which case they become meaningless, or you give them to the ones who deserve it (same kids every week), or you use them to encourage struggling kids (unfair on the well behaved kids). I was really pleased when my DC's primary school ditched them.

We get a newsletter which has the names each week and also there's a physical thing which is given to one child each week (let's call it trophy), which we never had.

I did expect it to be as equal as possible.

I'd agree with this actually.

Yes, this. What's the value of an award that you've only got because it's your turn on the register? And if the teacher gives them to the ones they deem "most deserving" there will always be those equally deserving that miss out.

Help your child to focus on intrinsic rewards rather than extrinsic ones.

I did expect it to be as equal as possible.

It's not at all equal in my experience and the sooner that you expect equality, the less disappointed that you'll feel. It's much easier in secondary when there's less of this.

I have 3 kids and with one of them I had to keep on reminding the teacher that they'd not had their turn when others have had it multiple times. It's shit but sadly necessary to keep my child's morale up. He's very under the radar sort of child.

His sibling won more than the class average. He didn't have behaviour issues but seems to be a personality that teachers notice. Academically he did great but not too table and he was frequently picked as the lead in plays and assemblies.

Best thing to do is buy rewards for your child. You know how hard they try and how much they've grown this year (it sounds like your dd had a great year)

Help your child to focus on intrinsic rewards rather than extrinsic ones.

Sure. I think it borders me more than her.
And also, when they inevitably ask what do I need to do to get X, you'd like to have some advice/ explanation for them.

We have certificates given out equally (once a year).

For the last 3 years my DS has received his in the last few weeks of summer term, which basically means they’ve had to come up with something to give him one for and if a record wasn’t kept he wouldn’t have one. It makes me think he’s a bit overlooked/not a favourite, but to him he’s just happy he got one.

I try not to take it to heart, there’s 30 parents who all no doubt want their kid to be the teachers favourite and get the certificates first.

The other explanation is that he's a child for whom there's usually some reason they could find to give him one, so they could risk leaving him until later. My DD never got one until the summer term. They would have been busy seizing the opportunity when Horrid Henry did something they could reward, whereas DD probably produced something rewardable most weeks.

Would you prefer the teacher spends their time cross referencing MS Exel docs to check all 30 children over 40 weeks get 1 each of the certificates to enable each to get one across the year? Certificates etc are for the parents, most people know that and the best schools have ditched all 'reward' systems that are not focusing on intrinsic motivation for children.

@PTSDBarbiegirl three rewards are given each week, with or without a spreadsheet.
Ideally, I would like the teacher to look at dd and think 'you're really deserving of this!' and to show her she has high expectations of her.

But as it appears dd is off the teacher's radar, and may be a spreadsheet would've helped as the thing with rewarding so many is the lack of reward almost equals as a punishment to the few left out.

That’s actually possibly true too… whilst he’s a distraction prone little thing he’s also a high achiever so being able to have the guarantee of being able to say “being good at maths” might actually be an explanation (although the actual goody two shoes kids that behave perfectly and also excel in everything seem to get them early which might mean this isn’t the case…).

Honestly the reason kids get certificates is so bizarre, but they take pride in it and most kids do thrive on being the one singled out as certificate worthy (but also plenty do get upset it’s not them so I understand the push away from using them as it must be a minefield for teachers if parents don’t just go with the flow).

@lanthanum that's a lovely way of looking at it. :)

My daughter’s school has monthly awards for reading, writing and maths. She is “at greater depth” across the board, and has never received one.

i think that’s OK, because:

She is bright and is well supported so she doesn’t have to struggle as much as other classmates.

She has a kind group of friends both inside and outside of school and a stable home environment, so she feels secure and worthy of love and regard.

She has outside school interests which give her other opportunities to collect certificates, medals and trophies, so her sense of self esteem is not tied up with being noticed at school.

Most importantly, she seems to have an incredibly strong internal locus of control. She has huge self-drive to work at her outside interests, and she knows that getting her homework done is just part and parcel of making time to do her hobbies. I think it might just be her personality. I am the same, but I didn’t do anything to help her develop that.

She is extremely fortunate to have the above protective factors.

I would much prefer these school awards go to children who would benefit more from the encouragement.

My DD was in the category @lanthanum described. They used to give out one certificate per week in DD's primary, and DD didn't get one in Y2 or Y3 and was very upset, despite all of our assurances that she was doing well and we were proud etc.

I did note it in my parent feedback on her end of Y3 report, and then regretted having become 'that' parent when she got the certificate in the first week of Y4 for a weak reason, clearly to pacify us...

The irony was that, the following week, she genuinely did something really noteworthy, and she got the award that week as well!

They are a real nuisance, and I'm glad they don't have that nonsense in secondary.

Well, my child just walked out really upset as he still doesn't have a certificate this school year (they give out multiple each week) and I'm actually fuming for him!

It does feel like a punishment - when they do notice, don't know how they can change the outcome + feel out of control, kids that have been rude to them get awarded!
For the first time I'm really tempted to be 'that parent' and mentioned it to the teacher...