School awards celebrate effort, determination and achievement beyond marks

The school awards ceremony will take place on Saturday.

Many schools sent in stories about their students.

Judges chose about 1,000 entries from thousands of submissions.

They do not look only at marks or school reputation.

They also ask how hard students worked and what challenges they faced.

The judges consider how schools help children who need extra support.

Students are being recognised for activities such as making films, farming and protecting the environment.

The organisers say the awards are about learning from one’s own efforts, not simply beating other students.