Celebrating a Love of Learning
At St Thomas More, we want our pupils to enjoy learning and take pride in their work and the progress they make. We build in daily, weekly, and termly opportunities to celebrate achievements, effort, and commitment, reinforcing our values and mission.
Our strategies for celebrating pupils include:
1. Praise Postcards
- Staff and pupils design fun, pun-inspired postcards that are issued daily to recognise effort, perseverance, and hard work.
- These postcards celebrate achievements, no matter how small, and help motivate pupils to continue striving for excellence.
2. Merits
- Merits are awarded daily for a range of reasons, including high-quality work, strong contributions in class, or demonstrating commitment to our school mission.
- This system recognises both academic excellence and personal development, highlighting pupils who embody the values of St Thomas More.
3. Cause for Applause Station
- This hugely popular station allows pupils to bring along a piece of work they are proud of to share with staff.
- Pupils can receive an immediate reward or collect tokens towards a larger reward, celebrating effort, creativity, and achievement in a visible way across the school.
4. Weekly Headteacher Sweet Treats
- Each week, pastoral tutors nominate pupils to receive a special reward from the Headteacher.
- Nominations are linked to living out our school mission, recognising pupils who go above and beyond and demonstrate love, care, and a commitment to our community values
5. Character Shields
- Each year, both staff and students vote for our Character Shields. These prestigious awards are reserved for students who have demonstrated exceptional moral integrity, lived out the Gospel values, and served as exemplary members of our school community.
- The shields are:
- The Wilma Rudolph Shield
- The Oscar Romero Shield
- The Irena Sendler Shield
- The Father Donnelly Shield
- The Barnardo Shield
Through these initiatives, we ensure that pupils not only strive to achieve academically but also feel recognised and valued for their hard work, effort, and character — reinforcing a lifelong love of learning.
