Picture a child getting home after school. The bag lands by the door, but something stays in their hand. It is a certificate with their name on it. Before anyone asks how the day went, they are holding it up: “Look what I got!”
A teacher noticed something worth celebrating. Perhaps it was a strong result, a brave first attempt or a week of refusing to give up. We want to make it easier for schools to turn that recognition into something personal. Meet Certificates on the Noticeboard dashboard: a place to design certificate templates, create awards and share them with families.
Make it look like your school
A certificate should feel like it belongs to the school giving it. In the dashboard, staff can design certificate templates with their school’s colours and logo. Prepare a design, check it and publish the template when it is ready to use.
That gives the next celebration a familiar starting point. When another learner earns an award, staff can use a published template again instead of putting the design together from scratch. The school’s identity stays familiar as staff prepare each award.
Give the achievement a name
An award begins with deciding what you want to recognise. It might be a maths achievement, thoughtful leadership or effort that deserves attention. Choose a published certificate template, fill in the award details and add the learners receiving it.
Check each recipient’s details and review the award before sharing, including the learner’s name and what you are recognising. It is a small check, but a name spelled correctly matters on something a child may want to show everyone.
Bring the proud moment home
The celebration does not have to finish when the school day ends. Use the sharing options available to your school, and check the intended family audience before sharing an award.
Check which certificate options your school’s plan and your staff permissions include. Choose a suitable way to recognise the learner and involve their family.
Start with someone you have already noticed
Think of a learner whose effort stood out this week. The child who tried reading aloud again. The teammate who made sure nobody was left out. The learner who finally understood a problem after several attempts. Decide what you want the certificate to say about that moment.
Open Create, then Certificates. Prepare a school template and an award, check each recipient’s details, and use the sharing options available to your school. The meaningful part begins with a person noticing.
