Student Commendation Award (SCA)

Aims

• To reward students and act as an incentive.
• To help students improve their ROA.
• To help students demonstrate the qualities and skills which employers, colleges and universities wish to see in candidates.
• To encourage students to take control of their Post 16 planning.

The commendation award will give pupils something valuable to place in their Record of Achievements.

It will also encourage students to take part in and contribute to a number of careers/social/personal tasks, which will show employers and colleges more about the student in question.

Employers, Colleges and Universities are looking for more than just GCSE results.

They are looking for qualities and attributes: Initiative, commitment, planning, research, interest and motivation.

The Windsor Certificate includes standard criteria such as attendance and punctuality but in addition, it also includes criteria which will show that the student has done more than just turn up to school.

e.g., Extra curricular activities, college visits, careers research, work experience, voluntary work.

Award Criteria

• Student Commendation Award criteria - Year 10
• Student Commendation Award criteria - Year 11

General Procedures

Recording data

• Punctuality and Attendance percentages will be calculated using the electronic registers. These will be downloaded onto a master sheet for each tutor/house.
• Absences and problems with punctuality will be monitored through the house pastoral system and dealt with in line with school policy. Early intervention will help students maintain the 90% minimum targets.
• Registers are kept for all school clubs and teams. It will therefore be simple to confirm whether a student has regularly attended.
• For out of school evidence, we suggest that tutors ask students to provide either direct evidence of participation or accept a letter from a parent outlining what their child has been doing.
• Each Tutor will keep an Excel spreadsheet with the Award Criteria listed on it. 
• Students will be responsible for presenting evidence to their tutor, who will then tick off each task, when completed.
• Tutor groups already have a box where they keep their ROA’s and folders. It is important that these boxes are kept in a safe place to ensure that students’ evidence and certificates do not become lost or damaged.

Monitoring the system

• Tutors will be responsible for regularly checking his/her group’s progress.
• Heads of House will use Assemblies and Tutor group visits to maintain a high profile for the award.
• A mid-term progress check will take place:
• Year 11 = End of November
• Year 10 = End of January
• At that time, we will identify those pupils who need to do more, if they wish to achieve the award.

Summary

• The award has been designed to give all students the chance of achieving, at least, the Bronze level.
• To achieve the higher levels, students must demonstrate that they are regularly attending/taking part in events and activities.
• We hope that all students and parents will work with the school to make this award a success.
• For further information about the award, please contact your Head of House, Head of Key Stage 4 or the Head of Careers.