Rewards and Consequences: Building a Culture of Achievement

At The Gateway Academy, we believe every student can “improve upon their best” by demonstrating our core values of Responsibility, Resilience, Compassion and Aspiration.  These values shape both how we reward positive choices and how we respond when expectations are not met.  Our approach is clear, consistent and grounded in high standards, similar to the strongest behaviour cultures in the country.

Our Behaviour Framework

We use an online system (ClassCharts) to track Merits and Demerits for every student.  This ensures a consistent approach across lessons, tutors and year groups and gives students and parents full visibility of behaviour.

Merits

Merits are awarded when students exemplify the Academy values or demonstrate exceptional conduct.  Examples include:

• Showing resilience by persevering through challenging work.
• Taking responsibility through excellent organisation or helping peers.
• Showing compassion by supporting others.
• Demonstrating aspiration by going above and beyond in class or revision.

Merits build up over time and unlock rewards through our ClassCharts shop.

Demerits

Demerits are issued when behaviour falls short of our expectations.  These include:

• A training tool that helps students meet the Signature Strategies at the highest standard.
• Failing to complete the expected level of work.
• Lateness to lessons or inadequate preparation.
• Behaviour that does not reflect the Academy values.

A demerit is a clear signal that the standard was not met.  It allows students to reset, reflect and improve.  A demerit is not a ‘punishment’ in isolation but a signal that the expectation was not met and an opportunity for improvement.

How Merits Convert into Rewards

We celebrate students who consistently make strong choices.  Our system is simple:

• Each merit earns points, visible to students, parents and staff in ClassCharts.
• Your credits = merits minus demerits.
• Credits can be exchanged for rewards in the ClassCharts shop, including:
  • prize-draw entries;
  • discounts on trips and events; and / or
  • small privileges such as queue-jumping at lunch.
• High achievers are recognised regularly within tutor groups, year groups and assemblies.  This encourages students to push themselves every day.

Addressing Demerits and Supporting Improvement

We all make mistakes but we expect students to learn from them.  When a demerit is issued:

• Students reflect on what happened and what they will improve next time.
• Tutors and Progress Leaders monitor patterns and offer early support, such as mentoring or restorative conversations.
• Persistent concerns trigger our Behaviour and Sanctions Policy, which may include SET, detention, isolation or meetings with home

The focus is always on helping students meet the standard.

What This Means for Students and Parents/Carers

• Students: You have full visibility of how your behaviour affects your credits.  Every day is a chance to earn merits and demonstrate your best.
• Parents/Carers: You can log in to ClassCharts at any time to track your child’s merits, demerits and progress.
• Teachers and Tutors: Our system ensures consistency, clarity and high expectations across the Academy.

Why This Matters

A strong behaviour culture ensures:

• Calm, focused lessons where every student can learn.
• A safe, respectful environment free from disruption.
• A community built on high aspiration, where excellent choices become the norm.

When students meet and exceed expectations, everyone thrives.

Head of School Award

Each member of staff nominates a student weekly who has demonstrated ‘excellence’ inside or out of school. The Head of School selects the weekly winner who is tannoyed, gets a positive letter home and receives positive points.

Golden Ticket

Each member of staff is invited to award one Golden Ticket during the course of the academic year. The criteria for awarding a ticket is that the student must be consistently ‘improving upon their best’, or do something that is ‘exceptional’. If this is the case, a student is given a Golden Ticket and they must exchange part of the ticket with the Head of School for an award and place part of the ticket in the golden box located in the canteen for the chance to win a prize. The name and a photograph of each student who gains a Golden Ticket will be on show in the canteen and a letter congratulating the student is sent home. Please note, this award is not for students who do not constantly meet the expectations of the Academy, however, if a student makes a significant turnaround in their attitudes to learning, they will be considered. In addition, every half-term, on a week 5 there will be open nominations for ‘Golden Ticket’ Awards, selection will be made by the Student Engagement Team the following week.

Demonstrating Excellence in Academic Attainment and/or Progress

Each subject area will nominate two students per year group to receive a subject badge each term, one for academic excellence and one for academic progress. Overall, the ‘top’ ten students who make academic attainment and academic ‘progress’ in each year group will receive trophies every term. This will be based on the data from the student dashboards and from teacher input.

Supporting The Gateway Community

Students are encouraged to support their Academy and community. Students who ‘go above and beyond’ demonstrating care and supporting others will be awarded positive points.

Academy Challenges

We advocate for students to play an active role in their year group and feel part of the Gateway ‘family’. There are a diverse range of events throughout the academic year for students to get involved in. Students are awarded individual points for participation, which go towards the R4U reward system.

Celebrating Success Across the Academy

All staff are expected to take every opportunity to praise individual student achievements and to celebrate success. This is to promote the values and ethos that the GLC cherish. On a weekly basis during PAD, the teacher will talk with their students to inform them of the points they have accrued. This will be repeated on a two weekly cycle. Other mediums for communicating and celebrating students achievements include year group and whole Academy assemblies, student displays including ‘selfie’ boards, top 20 highest achievers academic success badges and trophies.