Awards
Our awards
Presented each summer in school assemblies, to students nominated by the staff who teach them.
What we are looking for
An award is not a reward for being top of the year. It recognises a student who has made progress well beyond what anyone would reasonably have expected of them, or who has given something significant to the school and the community around it.
That covers academic work, but just as often it covers sport, music, drama, competitive teams, and voluntary service. Students with special educational needs are very much part of the scheme, not a separate category within it.
How it works
From nomination to assembly
Step one
Staff nominate
Teaching and support staff put forward students they believe meet the criteria, with a short written case for each.
Step two
Trustees review
The board considers every nomination together, agrees which awards are made and at what level, and checks the spread across year groups.
Step three
Presented in assembly
Trustees present the awards in front of the student's year group, with a few words about why that student was chosen.
Award values
What each award is worth
Awards rise with year group. In the younger years the award is largely symbolic, a clear and public well done. By the upper school it is money that can make a practical difference to a student's next step.
Values are reviewed by the trustees each year and depend on what has been raised.
| Year group | Award value |
|---|---|
| Year 7 | £50 |
| Year 8 | £100 |
| Year 9 | £200 |
| Year 10 | £300 |
| Year 11 | £400 |
| Year 12 | £400 |
| Year 13 | £500 |
Beyond the awards
Where the school identifies a particular need, the Trust can fund something larger — supporting a team competing at national or international level, or helping students complete a Duke of Edinburgh award. These are considered by the trustees case by case.
A note on privacy
We do not publish the names of students who receive awards. Recipients are recognised in school, in front of the people who know what it took, and that is where it belongs.
Every award is funded by someone
The Trust receives no public funding. Awards are paid for entirely by donations and by fundraising in and around Steyning.