Rewards and Recognition

At Hailsham Academy, we have clear expectations of all learners, underpinned by our core values:

• Manners
• Acceptance
• Respect
• Kindness

We believe that kindness should shape all our interactions, behaviours and relationships across our school community. This principle is central to our behaviour policy and the learner Code of Conduct. It encourages our learners to respect and value one another, their learning and their environment. Equally, our staff are committed to modelling these values and promoting them through positive relationships and everyday interactions.  

Recognising Positive Conduct

Recognising and celebrating our core values is an important part of developing confident, successful young people. We believe that positive conduct is best encouraged by drawing attention to and rewarding the behaviours, attitudes and choices we value most.

Praise and positive recognition play a key role in helping learners make positive choices, develop self-confidence and take pride in their achievements. We use a tiered rewards system to acknowledge and celebrate success, effort and contribution across our school community.

Praise should always be meaningful and linked to specific examples of a learner's strengths or achievements. We encourage all members of staff to actively recognise success and celebrate positive contributions whenever possible. 

Hailsham Academy uses a range of methods to recognise and reward positive conduct, including, but not limited to: 

How Rewards are Given

Learners can be recognised and rewarded in a variety of ways throughout the school day, including:

• In lessons by subject teachers and support staff
• During mentor time by their Mentor
• By their Head of Year or Head of Department
• During social times
• Through assemblies
• By staff whilst on call and visiting lessons
• Through participation in school events and activities
• For exceptional contributions and achievements within our school and wider community

Achievement Points

Achievement Points are used to recognise positive conduct, effort, progress and contributions to school life.

When a learner is awarded an Achievement Point, a notification is sent directly to parents and carers via Class Charts. Achievement Points contribute towards our tiered rewards programme, enabling students to work towards a range of rewards and recognition throughout the year.

To ensure our rewards system is fair, consistent and meaningful, the Standards Team regularly reviews achievement data across year groups, departments and staff. This helps us to monitor patterns in reward allocation and ensure that positive contributions are recognised appropriately across the school community.

Our Tiered Rewards Programme

At Hailsham Academy, Achievement Points contribute towards our tiered rewards programme, recognising students who consistently demonstrate our values, make positive contributions and engage fully in school life.

Bronze Award

To receive a Bronze Certificate of Achievement, a student must:

• Earn 250 Achievement Points
• Receive a certificate signed by their Mentor
• Be presented with their certificate during mentor time

Silver Award

To receive a Silver Certificate of Achievement, a student must:

• Earn 500 Achievement Points
• Receive a certificate signed by their Head of Year
• Be presented with their certificate during a year group assembly

Gold Award

To receive a Gold Certificate of Achievement, a student must:

• Earn 1,000 Achievement Points
• Receive a certificate signed by a member of the Senior Leadership Team
• Be recognised during a formal presentation event

Platinum Award

To receive a Platinum Award, a student must:

• Consistently embody our core values in all aspects of school life
• Demonstrate an exceptional commitment to manners, acceptance, respect and kindness
• Serve as a positive role model within the school community

Recognising Kindness

Kindness is at the heart of our school culture and is one of our core values.

Throughout the year, we provide opportunities to celebrate and recognise acts of kindness across our school community. Kindness is actively promoted through our Mentor and PSHE programmes, assemblies and everyday interactions.

Staff regularly acknowledge and praise learners who demonstrate kindness towards others, and outstanding examples are celebrated through assemblies, rewards and whole-school events.

By recognising kindness, we encourage our learners to contribute positively to our school community and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.