Students should always be commended for good behaviour. At Meadowhead School Academy Trust we believe that students learn by praise, reward and celebration of achievement.

The list below illustrates some of the various rewards that are commonly used in school:

1. Verbal and non-verbal praise by staff.
2. Positive comments in books.
3. Positive e-mails, postcards and phone calls home from staff.
4. Public recognition of achievement: assemblies, newsletters, annual and termly Celebration Assemblies.
5. Group achievement recognition: rewards and trophies based on sporting and other competitions.
6. Attendance awards on a weekly and termly basis, including tutor group sweets, postcards, texts and letters home and vouchers.
7. Individual effort/achievement recognised by faculties and year teams.
8. Form tutor awards.
9. Head of Year awards.
10. R1, R2 and R3 awards.
11. Diamond awards.

Diamond Awards

One of our key aims as a school is to formally recognise effort and achievement in a fair and consistent way across all year groups. We believe that to do this we need to recognise all of the successes that students have in a holistic way, using simple systems that are clear and robust.

The aim is to reward students in lessons, around the school and at home on a frequent basis to foster an atmosphere of success.

The smallest denomination of award in this system is the R1 and the highest is the R4. Rewards are recorded on ClassCharts. The table below indicates how these awards may be achieved and what happens when they are awarded.

 

Reward	Points	Description		Example		How?
R1	1	An excellent moment in a lesson. An act of kindness or respect. An excellent contribution outside of a lesson		A good piece of homework handed in on time. Detailed and thoughtful response in class discussion. Excellence achieved in individual pieces of classwork.		Teacher input on ClassCharts
R2	2	Excellent over a number of lessons.		Sustaining high standards over a period of time in any aspect of school life: classwork, homework, extended project and organization.		Teacher input on ClassCharts
R3	3	Sustained excellence over a half-term or sustained community service.		Achieving a good review (“2”) Sustained performance in a subject. Supporting the school community as a representative or ambassador. Sustained participation in extra-curricular teams or activities.		Nominations from staff and a Headteacher’s letter of commendation
R4	4	Outstanding all-around performance in academic e or in extra-curricular activities.		Achieving an outstanding review (“1”). For an outstanding achievement in or outside of school such as fund raising, charity work, sporting achievements (e.g. at a regional or national level) or contributing to your community. Leadership in a challenging incident (e.g. providing first aid).		Nominations from staff and a letter of commendation from the Headteacher and from the Governors

 

Each award has a point(s) value that allows students to work towards the prestigious Diamond Award.

For a student to attain the Diamond Award they will have had to work consistently hard over a significant period of their time at Meadowhead School and will have made a real contribution and impact to their community. We acknowledge their achievement by proudly displaying their names on our honours board. The board sits at the very heart of the school building, in the Rosling and is a permanent reminder of the success that any student who manages to achieve the Diamond Award has had.

Students who achieve 500 reward points over their time at the school receive a Diamond Award. Students who reach the milestone of 1000 reward points receive a Double Diamond Award. These awards are presented by the Headteacher in a special ceremony held in school.

Each year group holds a celebration event at the end of each half term where many students’ contributions will be acknowledged. We have particular prizes and awards that recognise attendance, good behaviour and effort in school.

We also recognise students’ achievements at key events throughout the academic year:

• End of term celebration assemblies;
• Making a Difference Award ceremony in the summer term; 
• an end of Key Stage 4 Record of Achievement Assembly;
• the prestigious GCSE Awards Evening that takes place each year in November;

At all of these events, students will be nominated for prizes and awards across effort, attainment, progress and service to the school.

Sixth form students receive relevant rewards which help them to become successful in University applications and beyond. They earn their own rewards by engaging in a full and extensive enrichment programme. This is a groundbreaking system that the school has created that aims to give all students a substantial opportunity for enrichment activities.

 

(page updated 21.07.26)