Wealden Times | WT188 | October 2017 | Kitchen & Bathroom supplement inside

Education
Vanessa Coatz,
Deputy Head at
Marlborough House School
How are achievements celebrated
at Marlborough House – both
inside and outside the classroom?
Our annual Prize-giving, weekly
assemblies and daily lunchtime
notices provide us with regular opportunities to reward
children for their successes in front of their peer-groups. We
have a ‘Good Marks’ system and the always popular ‘Star of
the Week’ for our younger pupils. Our weekly Bulletin, which
goes to all families, carries news of achievements of current
and past pupils and in addition we publicise the children’s
charity work and community activities via the local press.
Are prizes offered to pupils that excel in certain areas?
How do you ensure that prize-givings don’t de-incentivise
pupils who have not been awarded a prize? We believe
in recognising excellence in all its guises across every area
of school life. For example, in assemblies, we not only
celebrate academic and sporting achievements, but we also
recognise children for being their ‘best selves’. This can range
from good citizenship and resilience in learning to simply
demonstrating kindness and consideration for others.
How do you monitor your pupils’ progress and help those
who are struggling in certain areas? The size of our school
enables us to get to know our children very well. Regular
assessment, ambitious targets and a weekly meeting where
teachers discuss children’s progress enable us to continue to
personalise their learning and identify where further support
might be needed, whether that’s emotionally or academically.
What can be done to ease exam pressure during peak
periods? We encourage our children to recognise that all
aspects of their character are important and exams are just
a part of life, not life itself. We offer a broad and exciting
curriculum with many opportunities for the children to
shine and excel, and with the support of our dedicated
staff, they clearly do. marlboroughhouseschool.co.uk
Mark London, Head
of Marketing at ACS
International Schools
How are achievements
celebrated at ACS – both inside
and outside the classroom?
ACS International Schools
has two campuses in Surrey,
at Cobham and Egham, and student successes are
celebrated within and beyond the classroom.
This summer our senior students, aged 17-18,
celebrated their final year at school with a graduation
ceremony. As well as congratulating them on all their
hard work throughout the year, we also recognised a
number of outstanding contributions to school life.
The school’s Founders’ Award was presented to
Morgan Peterson at ACS Cobham for excellent academic
achievement and involvement in school life, whilst
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