Prize giving at secondary school

[figroll]

Hi

My dd1 is in year 11 and the school gives out prizes each year - 3 I think. They give these prizes to the same children every year like clockwork. These kids are very clever children who perform exceptionally highly in their end of year exams. I am not denying their results, but I just feel it is a bit unfair to the rest of the children in the year. My dd is friendly and pleasant, always hands in her homework on time, in fact, is the model pupil really, but she is always over looked and has said this to me.

These are also the children who were chosen first to do the Duke of Edinburgh despite their not being at the top of the waiting list, or to write articles for various newsletters, etc.

Any secondary school teachers shed any light on this? My dd1 works her socks off - her friend who is a very pleasant and naturally clever girl, has had a prize every year since year 8 and is bored to tears with the prize giving ceremony each year. She has even said that she thinks it is ridiculous herself and wishes they could spread it around a bit. It is a grammar school where some children are extremely clever/tutored through school - am I right to feel a bit aggrieved that my poor dd is ignored, or am I just being the protective mother?

AT my school they had a prize for acheivement and a prize for effort each year 7-9. Then the same but split into subject groups for 10 & 11.

The same children did get the prize for acheivemtn every year but the prize for effort was spread around.

Quick reply! I was just getting the washing in. Oh well - I know she just has to lump it really, but it seems a pity that there is so little recognition for others. I think their awards must be just for achievement. I have tried to tell her just to take what she can from school and to use the opportunities available to her, but sometimes a bit of recognition would be nice.

I was looking at the prize giving letter for year at DS's new school and it was a lot of the same name.

However they do have a merit system where they get awards at various levels. If they get 300 merits by the end of the year they get a special award at the Prize giving. This means that those hard workers do get some recognition.

Such is life. DS1 never got a prize until he left his secondary school, then virtually everyone got one (academic merit for the 50% who got 3 As, effort for those who didn't). Same people got them each year Y7-Y12 - the ultra hard workers/brilliant ones and the nice but struggling types. Being nice, conscientious and able never wins prizes.

Its hard to watch your children not being the ones to get the prizes isn't it? You really feel for them. I thought my dd had the best costume but the judge thought otherwise, such is life. I'm sure your daughter works really hard but surely it would be unfair to give a prize to her and not the top acheivers. Maybe you should suggest more prizes for things like perfect attendance or sports prizes

I could have written your post figroll! Ours is a high performing girls school and the same group (all dd1's friends) have won all the prizes every year. Apparently they phone each other up to see who has won the most and then get upset if they have been out-prized! Just one, once, would be lovely in this household!

I (stupidly) thought that all schools awarded prizes to students who had achieved most according to their individual targets - obviously not.

I think it's lovely that you recognise your dd's achievements.
I was a prize winner every year at my school, yet my mother never cared nor came to any of my prize givings. I was a very shy and quiet pupil, so it was nice to have my hard work recognised by the teachers.

Our school's prize-giving is very different. There are about 90 prizes awarded, spread throughout the school. Yes, some are for real high-fliers, those who got 5 As at A level etc. But the rest are for various things. My son got one for great effort across the whole curriculum. Others got them for particular subjects, including P.E. Others I can remember include always being friendly and cheerful and an asset to the tutor group; great effort and achievement in a difficult year personally for that pupil; there was one for achievement in the face of adversity; contributions to the community; exceeding personal targets.

So loads based on effort and on PERSONAL achievement rather than the narrow exam-based or even subject-based approach.

That sounds lovely portonovo.

ours is a bit like portonovo too. each class has about four awards in various achievements, then there are overall awards for achievement in music etc and a headteachers award.

it's like the blooming baftas in july.

We have a 1 prize per child policy, unless it is a prize for attendence and/ or excellent behaviour. But the accademic prizes go one to a child. So we staff have to get out 'bids' in early for some kids, who would other wise sweep the board!

We also do attainment awards, and progress awards, which tends to spread things around a little.

At my DSs' school, they do prize giving up to year 9. Everyone gets something, and some get several - but no one goes away empty handed. There is always something good to say about each pupil.

we couldn't do everone gets a prize, the school it too bog. It would be 240 prizes per year

I think they may have 2 or 3 awards in each category

ie 3 awards for effort and 3 awards for achievement for each subject. Then there are all the individiual music and sports awards.

When we sat through it for DS1, we were so disappointed that he only got the most improved in rugby award, when he had done very well both for effort and industry throughout the year. Then, after the musical interlude, he was one of three to be awared the Headmaster's prize (which came with a book token rather than just a certificate).

assuming that it took 30 seconds to give each child an award, and that we did it for years 7 to 11 onlly, to give every child a prize would take 10 hours!

and that is without the head droaning on giving his talk!

We always had academic, all round, sports and "contribution to school life" - much fairer, and even I managed to get one!

It was crappy though that the all round type ones were just a prize on the day, and yet sporting achievements got uniform type things for all year show iyswim. My sister's school handed out the same kind of things as the sports awards for all kinds of random achievements (including x amount of merits) - also much fairer.

1 prize per child is fine - it means it isn't the same 3 kids each year

Not all our children get a prize though, for the reasons I've given, the school is do big, it would take us 10 hours! and I'd have grawed my leg off by half way through!

They do it just one year group at a time, and there are 154 in each year group.

The way they work it is that everyone just gets up the once (except for the Headmaster's awards that are given at the end of the evening), and they get all their certificates when they go up for their first award. Everyone sits in order and they shuffle along the rows, so it is all very quick.

And we get a couple of glasses of wine at the end of the evening

I don't think all the children should get the prizes, and not all at the ceremony - the sports/merits things tended to be assemblies

It sounds like it is just my dds school then - yours all sound much more user friendly.

Never mind - I have told her that we know how hard she works and she should be rewarded by doing well in her exams at the end - I don't think she is really that bothered actually, it just strikes me as being a bit ridiculous to keep giving prizes to the same children.

Thanks for your replies.

Ours is largely like yours figroll, with the achievement prizes mostly going to the same people year on year. There are also some effort prizes which are spread around a bit more. It seems you either feel rather miffed that your childs efforts/achievements aren't being recognised or else slightly awkward that your child is being recognised - again! Lots of kids do work very hard but aren't recognised and that will always be true if there are just a few prizes. IMO these events are long and boring enough as it is without having loads of prizes (which then become devalued too).

Effort is a very subjective thing to reward, so there's less arguments/bad feeling over the achievement prizes I've noticed even though they do tend to go to the same people.

I'm uneasy about it all to be honest and don't know what the right answer is, but I think it's really important that you let your kids know you personally value their efforts regardless of whether they get prizes.

We have no idea what prizes there are or who gets them. I was very pleased that DS got a prize this year, but the school seems to keep a low profile on this issue (or perhaps I ignored it because DS had not won a prize before?).

I think awards should go to the kids with the best combination of effort and results i.e. the child who busts a gut and gets 75%, not the effortless 80% of another child.

Agree in principle ck, but how do you know that the 75% child has bust a gut or that the 80% child is winging it? How do you choose between 5 75% children who have all been trying hard in different ways? The whole thing is a minefield and I can see why some schools don't bother to be honest.