Praise Assemblies
As Headteacher of Perryfields Primary I feel very privileged to present the Praise Awards, along with our Deputy, in our weekly Praise Assemblies. For the past twelve years we have celebrated specific achievements at the end of each week, in a special assembly to which parents and grandparents are invited. After which our special visitors are invited to join the following lesson, along with their child/grandchild to sample some of our great teaching and learning.
Each week we have a special focus ranging from academic e.g. Marvelous Maths, Reading, Science etc to personal and social, often linked with our school Values or BLP, such as Kindness, Friendship, Collaboration etc. At the end of each half-term, we have a very special award known as ‘Star of the Half Term’ which is very much sought after!
During the Assembly, each teacher shares the reasons why the particular pupil has been selected (we always send a letter out the week before so that parents are made aware and can hopefully make arrangements to attend). Below is just one example from Year One, chosen for displaying one of our BLP Learning Muscles, Resilience :-
‘I have chosen you for being resilient and for persevering with your learning. You came into Year One being very positive, eager and very self-motivated. That has not changed; if anything, your thirst for learning continues to grow and it is such a delight to see. You are always engaged in your learning. You take on new challenges in maths and you keep trying until you solve every problem. Most times, when I ask a question, even when no-one else remembers what we have been
learning about, you usually do. You save the day and Miss E and I are always amazed at your reponses. One thing that stands out is that you never get discouraged and you never give up! You are an inspiration to all of us as you by far one of the most motivated 5-year-olds I have ever met! Thank you for making our carpet sessions buzz with excitement. Thank you for your hard work and most of all thank you for never giving up. Keep up the good work!’
In addition to these awards, we also have a Special Mentions Book in which any member of staff can write a special comment about any pupil in the school for any reason. This is followed up with a ‘Praise Call Home’ to inform the parents/carers that their child has received a Special mention in Praise Assembly.