Celebrating success at Orchard Park High School

At Orchard Park High School success is not just measured by academic achievement but by the character of an individual. 

Our aim is to make every child in our care the very best version of themselves through nurturing talent, channelling creativity, exposing ambition and competing for excellence. 

Students will experience a rich tapestry of opportunities that will shape choices, develop pride and confidence, as well as prepare students for their next steps in life.

Building on our school values of Integrity, Excellence, Collaboration and Drive, we have created opportunities for our students to show examples of these values, in and out of lessons. 

Character Education

Character Points: 

• Teachers use Character Points to reward students when they get it right, creating a positive and purposeful environment to live up to our four key values. 
• Positive Character Cards (PCCs) are used to facilitate swift recording of Character Points in and out of lessons.
• Bronze, Silver and Gold badges and certificates are used as extrinsic motivators to encourage students to build up points and give their best every day.

Character Clubs: 

• Every student is expected to participate in at least one extra-curricular club each academic year.
• Every subject runs an extra-curricular club. 
• Character Club/CC badges are used to celebrate commitment and participation in extracurricular clubs.

Student leadership

Students can become prefects and develop their leadership skills. The Head and Lead Prefects meet once a fortnight and all prefects with the Assistant Headteacher once a fortnight. Discussions are linked to the four school values and are driven by the students. Prefects discuss a range of relevant topics and are being trained to supervise and support students during social time.

Recognition 

Student achievement is recognised in a number of ways – the weekly letter to parents and carers from the Headteacher identifies those students who have excelled and staff make frequent phone calls home to celebrate great accomplishments.

1. Weekly assemblies 

In order to acknowledge and celebrate regularly amongst individual year groups, we use our weekly electronic records to recognise the student and tutor group of the week, based on Character Points achieved. This highly successful method is another means of consistently and regularly supporting, recognising and celebrating students in their everyday learning and behaviour.

2. Achievement assemblies

Achievement assemblies are held half termly and are an excellent opportunity to celebrate achievements in a formal, high profile manner. Through analysis of our Character Education points system, individual subject nominations and attendance records, we use achievement assemblies to praise and recognise the whole term successes of students who have consistently and continuously pushed themselves to achieve well. 

There are a wide range of categories that students are recognised for in these achievement assemblies. These include rewards for excellent learning, rewards for subject achievements and rewards for the number of Character Points achieved.

3. Celebration evenings

Celebration evenings are another high profile event within our rewards system. 

Celebration evenings commend our nominated students for going the extra mile in one or more subjects or within the school community as a whole. Students can be nominated for an outstanding academic or sporting achievement, for achieving success against the odds or for making an exceptional contribution to the wider school community. This prestigious event is an opportunity to formally invite parents along to join us in commemorating their child’s successes and achievements. 

4. Year 11 Prom

Year 11 have an end of year celebration of finishing their main school years and exams. This evening is organised by the Year 11 Head of Year.