On Friday 25 November 2016, across the country schools will be celebrating the people behind the scenes who help children learn, keep them safe and healthy and make sure schools run smoothly.
Want to get involved? Here’s what some schools are doing, and yours could too: You can also get more ideas on the Stars in Our Schools website and on UNISON’s campaign page.
Nominating a Star for a prize
Is there a star in your school who deserves recognition? If so, nominate them and you could both win £25 M&S vouchers. Find out how to nominate a star.
Giving children an opportunity to get to know school support staff better
- Invite all support staff to join the children for a special lunch – include cleaners, ground staff and other ‘hidden’ staff.
- Make time for kitchen and lunch staff to join the children and talk about the food they eat and why it matters.
- Hold a quiz for children about what school support staff do.
- Get children to help support staff for a day – keeping the playground clean, helping to set the lunch tables, older children helping younger ones with reading, painting, or writing.
Making a big fuss of school support staff
- Ask pupils to nominate the best member of the support staff and have an awards ceremony or special assembly to announce the winners.
- Ask classroom staff to run a competition along the theme “How do our support staff make our school better”. This could be art, poetry, dance, singing or anything else you can think of.
- Ask children to write a story or poem about the different support staff.
- Ask parents to come into school for a special ceremony or assembly where supports staff are honoured. Parents could bake a celebratory cake.
- Hold a “coffee morning” for all support staff.
- Make support staff VIPs for the day.
Making sure everyone knows how important school support staff are
- Take a photo of all the support staff and put it on a noticeboard that all children and parents can see.
- Contact your Parent Teacher Association and ask them to get involved. Invite them to the school’s celebration.
- Write to your local newspaper to let them know you’re celebrating support staff on 25 November 2016.
- Contact your governors and ask them to get involved. Invite them to the school’s celebration.
- Invite your MP and local councillor to your special event so they can see how important school support staff are.
- Have heads and teachers shadow support staff for a day, or even invite your MP and councillors to shadow them!
Just for fun
- Hold a face painting competition
- Ask pupils and staff to dress up as super heroes for the day
- Hold a ‘Stars in your eyes’ competition
Download resources for Stars in Our Schools day
School support staff play such an important role in children’s education. UNISON campaigns for better pay, conditions and training opportunities for them, and on 25 November we want everyone to celebrate what a vital role they play and give them the recognition they deserve.
Tweet us @UNISONinSchools, and follow us on Facebook. See the Stars in Our Schools website which would love to publish your blogs, quotes and messages of support on this website and hear from heads, teachers, parents, governors and children about the difference school support staff make at school.