Winning Ideas for School Plaque Inscriptions

Honour ceremonies at the end of the term are a traditional way to recognise students. But when it comes to awards and trophies, is there a right way to congratulate a student for their labour?

If you’re struggling with plaque inscription ideas, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll help you find the right way to express your appreciation to your students so they will be proud to display it in their homes for years to come.

Plaque Inscription Ideas You Can Use

First, we’ll cover the basics. Each inscription should make room for a name, date, and relevant subject. If you’re trying to keep it simple or have limited space, you can follow the basic outline below:

PERFECT ATTENDANCE Francis Cunningham 2018

MERIT AWARD presented to Christian Jones 2017-2018 School Year

As you can see, these inscriptions call attention to the student’s achievement and establish which year it was earned. They are perfect for medals or small trophy plaques, but what about if you need more?

Large Plaques and More Detailed Inscriptions

For larger plaques or awards that demand more detail or clarification, you must phrase carefully within the space constraints provided.

You can keep the information concise but official by including some keywords and phrases like the plaque inscription ideas listed below:

Greensward Academy
Honours
Josephine Smith
For your exceptional contribution to the
Essex Science Fair
“Greenhouse Gas Emissions”
FIRST PLACE
Environmental Science Category
2018

These examples list the school, student’s name, area of excellence, and the date of achievement. You can choose to capitalise entire words accordingly, depending on the nature of the award. Appropriate capitalisations include the award itself (“MERIT AWARD” and “FIRST PLACE”), or even the name of the student as shown above.

Use verbs like “honours”, “congratulates”, or “recognises” under the institution name. Alternatively, you can put the focus on the honour itself by moving the school name to the end, such as:

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE presented to Xavier Hamilton For Academic Achievement Hurlingham Academy 2017-2018

Add a Personal Touch

To give wording more of a flourish, try adding text that inspires pride in the student and explains more of their merit. These additions fit best at the end of the inscription.

Also, consider including a quote or personal congratulations from a headmaster or instructors.

Some examples are as follows:

In commendation of
Your outstanding academic standing
And a record of perfect attendance

The students and staff congratulate you for your outstanding achievement

You’ve risen to the very heigh of achievement

May this be the first step
In a lifetime of excellence

Exemplary Performance, Inspiring Attitude

You may also include the school motto as an alternative.

Find a Formula and Stick to It

As you see from the examples above, the key to a professional and polished inscription is consistency. All of them have a similar content but are arranged differently to suit specific needs. Pick some examples you like, customize them, and use the same formula each time.

As long as you include the important details (who, what, when), you’ll be able to build a great standard for your school awards.

Looking for unique plaques, medals, and trophies to place your custom inscriptions on? Visit us at Trophies Plus Medals!