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NCS Awards Policy: A Shift Towards Intrinsic Motivation

Over the past six months, a team of staff members at NCS has been exploring the scientific research behind motivation and the role of awards in schools. Awards can play a meaningful role in school life, particularly in Primary School at NCS.

Understanding Motivation: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic

Intrinsic motivation occurs when someone acts out of a genuine belief that it is the right thing to do, rather than for an external reward. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is driven by external incentives. If a school relies heavily on extrinsic motivation, students may not internalise positive behaviours as their own. While external rewards have their place, our goal as a school should be to guide students toward intrinsic motivation.

Research suggests that when students are offered a tangible reward—such as being given chocolate for good behaviour—their motivation remains extrinsic. Once the reward is removed, they may lose interest in behaving well, thinking, ‘What’s the point if I don’t get anything for it?’ Studies indicate that this approach can actually weaken intrinsic motivation.

However, if students receive an unexpected reward for positive behaviour, the effect is neutral—it neither fosters nor undermines intrinsic motivation. The most effective reinforcement, according to research, is verbal encouragement. Positive words from teachers and staff help students develop an internal drive to act in line with their values.

This finding aligns with feedback from our student focus groups. For example, a senior student in 2024 shared that he intentionally interacted with younger secondary students because he valued relationships and community. While receiving a certificate would be nice, what truly mattered to him was staff recognition and verbal encouragement.

Building Relationships Through Encouragement

This insight resonates with our understanding of God’s design. God is relational—He created us for relationships with Him and with one another. Through positive interactions and verbal encouragement, we strengthen relationships, which is a cornerstone of NCS’s community values.

Formal recognition, such as certificates, can still serve a purpose. They communicate what we, as a school community, value and aspire to. At NCS, our six core values—humility, integrity, kindness, perseverance, respect, and gratitude—reflect Jesus as the ultimate example. Because we believe all people are made in the image of God, our awards should align with and reinforce these values.

Guiding Principles for Awards at NCS

With these insights in mind, our new awards policy, effective from 2025, is designed to:

• Prioritise verbal encouragement from staff.
• Avoid fostering an expectation of rewards.
• Strengthen relationships between students and staff.
• Ensure awards reflect our core values.

How This Will Look in Practice

Primary School

The overall structure of awards will remain similar. Teachers will continue to provide positive verbal feedback both in class and on the playground. Character awards will be given to two students per class during formal assemblies, recognizing one of the six school values. Additionally, students who receive an award in assembly will be invited, along with their teachers, to a principal’s morning tea to foster relationships and encourage character growth.

Secondary School

Up to six students per week who demonstrate our school values will be noted by staff. Those recognised a significant number of times will be invited to a principal’s morning tea, along with their teachers, as a way of reinforcing their character development. Teachers will also continue to provide frequent, positive feedback for students’ efforts and behaviour.

Transitioning from the Merit System

For students working toward their 100 merit awards in Primary School, the following transition plan will be in place:

• Students should redeem any 10 merits as they have traditionally done.
• Students who accumulate 50 or more merits will be invited to a principal’s morning tea during this term.
• The new character awards do not count to the 50 or more merits and so
• The 10-merit and 100-merit rewards are being phased out and will be replaced with a principal’s morning tea.

A Meaningful Shift

This new approach reflects the science of motivation, reinforces our school’s values, and prioritises meaningful relationships between staff and students. By focusing on intrinsic motivation, we aim to cultivate a school environment where students do the right thing—not for a reward, but because they believe in it.