Rewards

Our rewards policy seeks to uphold at all times The Dorcan Academy’s core values of Be kind, Show respect and Do your best.  This is so that they are inspired and motivated to be the best versions of themselves. The Dorcan Academy is committed to promoting high standards of learning and behaviour.  Our Behaviour for Learning policy puts into effect our core values of promoting positive behaviour for learning with the aim of enabling all students to ‘Aspire to Greatness’; a belief that we can overcome barriers to learning and a ‘no excuses’ culture. We strongly believe that students should be regularly and fairly rewarded for their achievements, to not only celebrate students’ successes but to also inspire and motivate young people to achieve their very best and become confident, independent leaders in their learning as well as model citizens. Simply put Take part, Achieve, Succeed. 

Students are rewarded in numerous ways:

• Praise stamps are used in every lesson. The praise stamps reward students every time they are kind, respectful, and do their best. These stamps accumulate and are converted into Epraise points.
• House points are used in lessons when students model one of our character virtues or go above and beyond in lessons. These points are added directly to students’ Epraise profile
• Character counters are used outside of lessons, when students are kind, respectful, and do their best as well as model our character virtues. Students can pass the counters to their tutor, who will add house points to the Epraise profile. At the end of the week, these get added to House’s Charity box
• Students will also be rewarded for other reasons, these are added straight onto their Epraise profile such as:

• Academic prep completed
• Excellent academic prep
• Subject Achievement
• Attending an intervention session
• Weekly attendance
• Uniform and equipment
• Achieve HQ1 and HQ 2
• Super House Points
• Achieving a Character Badge
• Achieving a Character Shield
• Accelerated Reader – passport completion
• Commitment to extra-curricular (5/6 sessions attended within a half term)
• Successfully completing a sustained intervention (4 or more sessions)

Students are rewarded via a certificate and letter for achieving 3 milestones during each year at The Dorcan Academy. Bronze 500 points a tutor letter home and a certificate. Silver 1000 points Head of House letter home and a certificate. Gold 1500 points Headteacher letter home and a certificate. Students who achieve the gold milestone each year will receive the platinum award which is a discounted Prom ticket or Pizza lunch for themselves and some friends. Students also receive accolades on their E-Praise profile which acknowledges their character development and other noteworthy achievements.

Students are also rewarded during our rewards assemblies. All the academic and character winners’ names are put into a draw and two students are selected to win a £10 voucher at random. At our whole school rewards assembly at the end of the academic year trophies are awarded for exceptional achievements.

At the end of term 3 students in Horsforth Quadrant 1 and 2 for their subjects are entitled to a non-school uniform day on the last day of that term. The House that gains the highest number of points at the end of the year is awarded the House trophy and non-school uniform day at the end of term 1 the following year.

During the year we hold two rewards events. At the end of term 3, we hold a film and sweets morning, and at the end of the year, we hold our end-of-year rewards trip; usually to a theme park. To be invited to the events students must be in Horsforth Quadrant 1 and 2 for all their subjects, not be at any stage of the graduated response, and have an attendance of 95%.