Pledges
Students at The Oakwood Academy are encouraged to gain a breadth of experiences both in and out of Academy life. This includes accessing the wide range of extracurricular opportunities on offer and representing their House. In order to further develop this ethos and raise expectations around the importance of engagement from everyone, we are launching an exciting initiative called ‘Pledges’.
This is a model used very successfully in other Redhill Trust Academies and sees students awarded Pledges for their wider contribution to Academy life. The theme of our Pledges will be displayed throughout the Academy and staff will dedicate time to focus on helping students in identifying opportunities to achieve their Pledges and the importance of doing so. The Pledges are detailed below:
The Oakwood Academy Pledges
1. To contribute to Academy Sporting events.
Students must represent the Academy in sports events. For example, regional qualifiers, Trust Academy games and Inter-House competitions.
2. To contribute to Academy Expressive Arts events.
Students must contribute consistently towards Performing Arts events. For example, dance, drama and music events.
3. To contribute to Academy STEM subject events.
Students must contribute consistently towards STEM events. The STEM departments will decide what events are eligible and will communicate this to students.
4. To organise and actively participate in assemblies.
Students must organise or participate in either a Tutor, House or Year assembly.
5. To organise and actively participate in at least three fundraising event or House charities.
Students must get involved in fundraising events to support local or national charities. These events could be in-House, whole school or open to the local community. For example, Children in Need, or Comic Relief.
6. To represent your House in at least ten different House activities.
Students must make a significant contribution to the local community. For example, Student Voice and Sports Leaders.
7. To participate in activities that support others within the Academy.
Students must consistently support their peers whenever the opportunity arises. For example, mentoring or paired reading.
8. To attend cultural or sports events outside of school.
Students must experience a range of enrichment activities in their own time, such as music concerts, football matches, cadets or dancing that are not arranged by the school.
9. To participate in wider community projects.
Students must participate regularly in projects that take place outside of school, such as Duke of Edinburgh, sports leaders, school-based community events, carol concerts or visits to primary schools.
10. To read a range of novels per year and complete a book review for each.
Students must read three different novels every year they are at The Oakwood Academy. For each novel read, they must complete a book review and share it.
Students are asked to negotiate with their Tutor their own pledge.
Students are required to achieve the following Pledges by the end of Key Stage 4:
- Current Year 7 to complete eight Pledges in total
- Current Year 8 to complete seven Pledges in total
- Current Year 9 to complete six Pledges in total
- Current Year 10 to complete five Pledges in total
- Current Year 11 to complete three Pledges in total
The Oakwood Academy Pledge Passport
Pledges are recorded in a Passport. Each student will have their own individual Passport which will stay with them through Years 7-11.
Our Pledges will further engage students in opportunities and events that take place in the Academy.