At Bursledon we believe that fostering positive behaviour is key to creating a safe, respectful and inclusive learning environment. All staff use positive behaviour language, and as you move through our schools will hear them praising the children for Superb Sitting, Wonderful Walking, Legendary Line-ups and Perfect Participation.
Rewarding and recognising children is important for several reasons:
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Positive Reinforcement: It encourages good behaviour and helps children understand what is expected of them. When children receive praise or rewards for their actions, they are more likely to repeat those behaviours.
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Building Self-Esteem: Recognition helps children feel valued and appreciated. This boosts their confidence and self-esteem, which is crucial for their overall development.
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Motivation: Rewards can serve as motivation for children to achieve their goals and strive for excellence. It helps them understand the connection between effort and achievement.
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Emotional Development: Positive recognition helps children develop a sense of security and emotional well-being. It reinforces their sense of belonging and acceptance.
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Encouraging Growth: By acknowledging their efforts and achievements, we encourage children to take on new challenges and develop new skills.
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Strengthening Relationships: Rewarding and recognizing children can strengthen the bond between them and their caregivers or teachers. It fosters a positive and supportive environment.
The ways in which we celebrate our children are:
Executive Headteacher Award - The Executive Headteacher Award is a prestigious honour presented at the end of each term—December, April, and July. Each pupil at Bursledon Federation has the opportunity to win this award once during their time at the schools. Teachers collaborate to nominate a child who has demonstrated exceptional progress and embodied the school values of love, respect, and aspiration.
This recognition can be for various achievements, such as academic excellence, improved handwriting, or mastering a specific subject. For others, it might be overcoming personal barriers, improving attendance, or building confidence and self-esteem.
Highly regarded within the Bursledon community, this award is a surprise for the recipients. Parents are secretly invited to the ceremony, ensuring the award remains a delightful surprise for their child. After the ceremony, parents and children are invited to the HUB for a professional photograph, which is then proudly displayed in the main reception for the following term. The nominated passage is also printed for all who visit to read and enjoy. Children have a certificate to take home, which also includes the specific words used in the nomination to keep as a treasured keepsake.
The Executive Headteacher Award celebrates hard work, perseverance, and improvement. It promotes positive behavior and boosts morale, creating a culture of appreciation and encouragement that resonates throughout the school.
Governor Award - Children are honoured with the Governors' Award for consistently demonstrating the core values of love, respect, and aspiration in every aspect of their daily activities in school. This prestigious award is presented on a termly basis during a celebration assembly, with parents in attendance. Photos of the children are taken and proudly displayed in the hub, accompanied by a description of why each child was chosen for this honor. This award can only be received once during a child's time at Bursledon.
Star of the Day - Each day, one child is awarded the Star of the Day for demonstrating our school values of love, respect, and aspiration. This special recognition celebrates pupils who show kindness and compassion towards others, treat everyone with courtesy, and strive to do their best in both their learning and behaviour. The Star of the Day serves as a meaningful reward, encouraging children to embody these positive qualities and inspiring their peers to do the same.
Reading Champion - The purpose of the Reading Champion rewards is to promote a culture of reading and to encourage children to read for enjoyment. This reward aims to make reading exciting and fun, motivating students to engage meaningfully with books both at school and at home. The Reading Champion can be rewarded for showing improved effort and for regularly completing their reading logs. This recognition helps to reinforce positive reading habits and encourages consistency in their reading practice. It's a great way to celebrate their dedication and progress.
The children are nominated within their year group by the teachers and are able to choose a book from the fantastic book vending machines.
Classroom Team Building Rewards - In order to foster a positive and aspiring classroom environment, teachers encourage team-building and offer rewards that encourage children to show kindness, demonstrate respect toward one another and work together. In some classes, children work together to collect marbles throughout the day in order to play a special game or receive a few extra minutes of outdoor playtime. In other classes, children can earn a raffle ticket in order to choose a small prize. These systems enable children to practice decision-making and demonstrate mutual respect. By offering these opportunities, children are motivated to support one another and develop the social skills that will benefit them both inside and outside the classroom.
Top Table Reward - We are delighted to celebrate the pupils who have exemplified our core values of love, respect, and aspire during lunchtime. These children have shown remarkable kindness and empathy towards their peers, demonstrated respect for everyone around them, and consistently aspired to be their best selves. Their positive actions and attitudes have made our school a better place for everyone. Congratulations to these outstanding pupils for embodying our school values and earning their well-deserved place at the Top Table!
Exec Head Hot Chocolate - Hot chocolate with the Exe Head is a special reward where teachers select children who have demonstrated sustained effort, resilience, and consistently embody the school values. These students are recognised for going the extra mile in their academic and personal development. It's a popular and fantastic way to celebrate and acknowledge their hard work and dedication.
Postcards Home - We send postcards home to make children feel valued and appreciated, boost their confidence and encourage them to aspire for success. These postcards improve communication between parents and teachers, informing parents about their child's achievements and fostering a collaborative relationship. Recognising positive behaviour through postcards helps create a culture of appreciation and respect, encouraging positive actions among pupils. Sending positive postcards home also supports children's emotional and academic development.
Tidiest Classroom - A tidy classroom is essential for providing children with an organized and calm environment conducive to learning. The children work diligently together to maintain the tidiness of the rooms, ensuring that resources are kept in their proper places. Each week, a trophy is awarded to the class that has demonstrated the most impressive efforts in keeping their classroom tidy. This trophy is proudly presented during the celebration assembly and remains in the winning classroom for the week.
TTRS/Numbots - As part of our homework offering, children are encouraged to complete TTRS (Times Tables Rock Stars) or Numbots tasks three times per week. Each week, their achievements are celebrated during collective worship for various reasons, including effort, improvement, progress, or attainment. This recognition allows us to celebrate the dedication and hard work children put into their learning outside of school, motivating them to continue developing their maths skills with enthusiasm and confidence.
Bingo the Dog - Each Friday, during Infant collective worship, the class with the highest combined attendance percentage is awarded the Attendance Award. In the junior school, the winning class receives the attendance trophy, which they keep and proudly display for the week. Meanwhile, in the infant school, the victorious class is visited by Bingo the Dog, who stays with them for the entire week. This fun and motivating reward encourages regular attendance and fosters a sense of pride and teamwork among the children.
Attendance Reward - Each Friday, during Junior collective worship, the class with the highest combined attendance percentage is awarded the Attendance Award. In the junior school, the winning class receives the attendance trophy, which they keep and proudly display for the week. Meanwhile, in the infant school, the victorious class is visited by Bingo the Dog, who stays with them for the entire week. This fun and motivating reward encourages regular attendance and fosters a sense of pride and teamwork among the children.
Achievements Outside of School - Celebrating pupil achievements outside of school allows schools to recognise and encourage diverse talents and efforts. By acknowledging accomplishments in sports, arts, community service, and other activities, our schools show they value the whole child. This boosts pupils' confidence, motivates them to pursue passions, and fosters pride, belonging and sharing their achievements. It also strengthens the connection between the school and the community, highlighting the positive impact our pupils have beyond the classroom. Overall, celebrating achievements outside of school contributes to a supportive and inclusive environment where every pupil's success is valued.
