Rewards & Motivation

We believe that intrinsic motivation is the best reward.  Intrinsic motivation means that we engage in a behaviour because it is personally rewarding, not for an external reward.  Examples of personally rewarding motivation elements may be:

• Pride in good work or a kind deed.
• Having good friendships.
• Learning something new.
• Feelings of respect from adults and children.
• Feelings of accomplishment especially after having faced a challenge.
• Being a positive role model.
• Feeling progress.

Whilst intrinsic motivation is important, we also recognise that a reward system has great value.  We know that every child will shine in some way and that these elements deserve to be captured and celebrated.  These rewards come in many forms:

• Non-verbal praise such as a smile, pat on the back, applause etc.
• Verbal praise as simple as ‘That was kind.’ to ‘I really liked what you did there, that’s a great technique with your brush, just the correct amount of pressure.’
• A child being asked to share work or a kind deed with another adult in school.
• A child being asked to share their work or a kind deed with the Headteacher in her study and receiving a Headteacher sticker.
• Children who read five or more times a week are awarded a coin for the ‘Sparkle Jar’. At the end of each half term, the children drawn out of this jar are awarded with a book from a vast array of new and exciting titles.
• Children are rewarded for becoming ‘Word Millionaires’ with a certificate presented in the Celebration Assembly.
• Children are rewarded for their spelling efforts with certificates in Celebration Assembly.
• Children who make substantial progress or achieve great results in times tables have a post card sent home by the Headteacher.
• For EYFS and Key Stage 1 children, a ‘Move-up’ chart is used in classrooms. This means that good work and behaviour is recognised in a very visual manner relevant to the year group.  The chart is moved to neutral each evening ready for the next day.
• House points are awarded for a small but exceptional act of good work through progress/achievement or kind behaviour. All children in all year groups have this system.  House points are counted at the end of each half term with the winning team earning a mufti day the following half term.
• Golden tickets are awarded for a considerable and exceptional act of good work through progress/achievement or kind behaviour. These are awarded in our celebration assemblies each Friday and are sent home with the child in question.

The elements we don’t do as a school are almost as important as those we do undertake.  For example, we don’t:

• Display and promote the neatest, prettiest or most precise work on the walls. Everyone has their work displayed and we display it all with pride.
• Favour academic achievements alone. Social, emotional, sporting and academic behaviour is all rewarded through all of our behaviour reward systems equally.