Pupils’ pride at badge of honour

STAR PERFORMERS: Chaddy the Owl presents badges and certificates to Limeside Primary School for 100-per-cent attendance. Pictured front is five-year-old Tyler Muir.

HARD-WORKING pupils across Oldham will be wearing trendy badges with pride after being rewarded for perfect school attendances.

The badges created by Crayola and designer Ben Sherman form part of the MOTIV 100-per-cent Challenge supported by Oldham Council.

It honours pupils who get to school on time, every day, all term. They receive the exclusively designed badges at each half-term and if they complete a full Spring term every pupil receives a reward tailored to their year group and school.

The scheme rewards both 100-per-cent attendance and 100-per-cent effort for attendance, so the achievements of everyone are celebrated — from hard-working responsible pupils to those who make a significant effort to improve their attendance record.

Pupils will be rewarded at the end of term with Crayola colouring packs, MOTIV Reward Cards including Hollywood Bowl Family tickets, free entrance to Laser-ace, Asylum Paintballing and Oldham Athletic match-day tickets.

Family rewards can also be won, including meals at Nando’s, Yo! Sushi and exclusive family film screenings at Odeon cinema.

Athletic mascot Chaddy the Owl presented badges and certificates to successful pupils at Limeside Primary School.

Headteacher Helen Arya said: “Attendance habits are formed at an early age and by celebrating achievements with small but meaningful rewards it encourages peers to aspire.

“Families are a really important part of the equation and by offering rewards that appeal to parents or guardians we can ensure the whole school gets behind the 100-per-cent challenge.”

Athletic’s inclusion co-ordinator James Mwale said: “We’re delighted to be supporting the MOTIV 100-per-cent Challenge in Oldham for the third year in a row.

“Good attendance is as important at the football club as it is in school — to be a professional footballer you have to attend training and matches every week on time and this enables them to be the very best they can be.”

The scheme is available to all schools in Oldham and is the brainchild of former Oldham school pupil Rose Marley, one of MOTIV CIC’s directors.

She said: “We are really proud of our work in Oldham to date and the positive impact can be seen in the reduced number of pupils with regular poor attendance over the last couple of years.”