Rationale
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award offers a personal learning challenge to primary age children. The Award adds value to children’s achievements across a wide range of practical, social and physical experiences.
Mission
The purpose of the Award is to value children’s learning and development and to encourage personal growth. We aim to provide a wide range of opportunities to develop children’s personal skills and learning attributes.
The Award
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award is a single award presented at the end of Year Six. The Award can be achieved at three levels, bronze, silver or gold, depending on commitment and individual effort.
Guiding Principles
1: Inclusive
The Lieutenant Governor’s Bronze Award is achievable by every primary child by the end of Year 6. It is an inclusive Award that is developed from the school curriculum. It is designed to provide children with opportunities to develop and understand the importance of the DEC learning dispositions.
2: Growth Mindset
One of the key aims is to support children in developing a growth mindset and a life long, positive attitude to learning.
3: Achievement
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award places the highest value on effort and progress and recognises individual starting points.
4: Community
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award aims to involve our local community wherever possible and to utilise local expertise.
5: Attributes
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award will provide opportunities for children to develop and apply the Essentials for Learning outcomes and learning attributes.
6: Island Environment
The programme of activities that leads to the Lieutenant Governor’s Award is planned to make use of the Island’s unique environment and opportunities.
7: Developmental
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award is planned to equip children, through the Bronze and Silver programme, with the skills needed to engage with the more independent Gold challenge.
8: Duke of Edinburgh
It is hoped that children who enjoy the challenge and rewards of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award will progress enthusiastically to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh scheme.
9: Personal Growth
The challenge of the Lieutenant Governor’s Award is intended to inspire personal and social growth. The value to children is progressive as they learn that their commitment and effort provides personal rewards.
The Journey
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award provides an opportunity to learn new skills and celebrate personal achievements. The Award is offered at three related levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Every child can achieve the Bronze and Silver levels of the Award by participating fully in school based, curriculum activities. The Bronze and Silver levels of the Award value effort, attitude and learning above competency and mastery of any one skill or activity. The Gold level can only be achieved during Year 6. It is an optional strand and runs alongside the Silver level programme. It requires greater individual commitment and a more independent approach.
The Organisation
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award is organised into a number of categories, which are linked through learning. The children will be able to experience activities and opportunities in ‘sports and outdoors’, ‘adventure and exploration’, ‘community and environment’, ‘natural world’ and ‘life skills’. At Bronze and Silver levels the programme of activities is provided by the teachers to develop skills and support learning. When children are working towards the Gold level in Year 6 they will select three key areas to focus on in more depth and detail and with greater independence.
The Starting Point
The journey towards the LGA Award begins for children when they enter Year 4. The children take part in a variety of activities, which are all linked to the curriculum. These experiences will provide a platform for earning the Bronze level, which can be achieved in Year 5. A number of activities in Year 4 will stand alone and count towards the Bronze level of the Award, whilst others are stepping stones to a more integrated and demanding challenge.
When the children enter Year 5 they build on the activities and skills developed in Year 4. The Bronze level can be achieved in Year 5 but will be awarded at the end of Year 6. The challenge of the Silver level of the Award begins in Year 5 and continues into Year 6. The Silver level can only be achieved by children in Year 6.
Children in Year 6 continue to work towards the Silver level of the Award and may also choose to participate in the Gold level programme.
The LGA Achievement Log
Every child will receive a Log Book to record their own personal learning journey and their progress towards each level of the Award. When an activity is achieved recognition is given by adding a validation stamp in the appropriate section. When a total of eight bronze stamps has been added the Bronze level of the Award has been achieved. To achieve the Silver level of the Award a child will need eight stamps at that level. The Gold level of the Award requires three validation stamps in the chosen areas.
The Evidence Folder
As the children continue their LGA learning journeys they will need to keep an evidence folder of their efforts and achievements. These folders provide information on progress towards each level and provide the necessary evidence for a stamp in the Achievement Log.
The Outcome
We hope the children will enjoy the learning journey and that it will encourage them to become lifelong learners. We also hope that the opportunities they experience will give them confidence and contribute to their personal growth. We expect that all children will be able to achieve the LGA Award at Bronze level – a great achievement. We also hope that many children will be able to achieve the LGA Award at Silver Level during Year 6. We also hope that a number of children will try the Gold level challenge and may even be inspired to attempt the wonderful Duke Of Edinburgh project when they are older.
Key features
- Open and accessible to everyone
- Fully inclusive and based on the school curriculum
- Progressive through Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6.
- Values learning and effort
- Encourages personal growth
- Provides opportunities to develop life skills
- Embraces the IOM learning attributes