PUPILS who have shown significant improvement in their studies and school life have been rewarded.

Budmouth Technology College in Weymouth has just handed out its first round of Endeavour Enjoy Awards to its most improved pupils.

The award, sponsored by Dorset Schoolwear, aims to recognise pupils who have shown a ‘significant improvement in any area of their studies and life at school.’ Points awarded under the programme are represented by tokens that are drawn from a hat and a winner picked from each year group.

The winner receives £25-worth of vouchers.

A college spokesman said the awards are run six times per year and up to five winners will be drawn every half term.

The spokesman added: “The awards are aimed at encouraging all students to participate and focus on self-improvement against personal targets as compared to seemingly unachievable gold medals.

“Students who become accustomed to reaching their personal best find it easier to move on to higher levels of attainment.

“The awards scheme also encourages students to become entrepreneurial, utilising their own resources to maximise achievement.”

Among the first recipients of the award were pupils Isaac Paull and David Surrey, who were presented with their certificates and vouchers by Ian Jefferis, of Dorset Schoolwear, and Shelley Trott and Max Lively, of the college.

Mr Jefferis said: “Achievement stems from endeavour and enjoyment.

“I’m delighted to offer these awards as recognition of such success and well done to David and Isaac as the first two recipients.”

Budmouth Technology College’s director for business and enterprise, Marcel Ciantar, said: “It is now widely recognised that the same skills people need to access throughout their careers are the very same skills that are essential for doing well in education and training.

“The Endeavour Enjoy Awards initiative simply places an added incentive to explore and discover these skill sets.

“The sooner students discover that doing well results in a greater opportunity to enjoy resulting rewards, ranging from personal satisfaction to material, the better students become infected with the irresistible urge to do better and better.”