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Original poster

School reward / sanction system

15 replies

Whoknowshey · 18/09/2025 18:35

A debate with my husband over our child’s school - what do you think ?

The school has a system where you earn points that can be used to buy things at the school shop . They are given for good things - good contribution , respect , good behaviour etc .

Today my son had his first ever detention for not handing homework in on time . Fair enough .

But - I have looked on his school account and they have taken a point off him for it too. Now , this isn’t a major thing , it’s not going to cause any issues etc. But , I personally believe that if a child has earnt something for something good it should not be taken away. If they do something wrong , then yes some kind of consequence but don’t take away things that have been earnt for good . The sanction was the detention. I work in education, this is the opposite of every behaviour management system I have ever known. Like in primary - if a child has a sticker for a good lesson and then in the next they aren’t , they just don’t get a sticker for that lesson , you would never take away that recognition for what has been done before.

My husband thinks it’s right , he didn’t do his homework , he accepts the consequences.

OP posts:
LlynTegid · 18/09/2025 18:36

I am with your DH as long as it is clear to all from the start.

TooManyCupsAndMugs · 18/09/2025 18:39

Most schools do this, mine does. Rewards = points on, rule breaking = points off then a net balance between the 2. Not that unusual

bucketfull · 18/09/2025 18:42

What happens if they hadn’t earned any points yet? Negative balance?

Original poster
Whoknowshey · 18/09/2025 18:54

I just don’t see the logic in taking the points away when they were given for good .

So a student gets a point for an excellent contribution in English … but then that’s taken away because maths homework wasn’t completed. It makes no sense. Especially when there is already a consequence for the no homework- a 30 min detention . So why also take away a reward for something they did that was positive ?

I could understand if they started with a balance, so say they had 30 points to start and you can earn points for good but lose them for bad , but this feels like it’s taking back things that were awarded for something good which feels like it’s erasing that good.

I have no idea what happens if you had no points.

OP posts:
MyLimeGuide · 18/09/2025 18:56

Hmmm wasn't the detention the punishment? So taking off a point he had previously earned seems unfair to me.

Octavia64 · 18/09/2025 18:57

If you had no points to start with you get negative points.

the school I used to teach at had this system.

it was a commercial system with a website and all do I presume fairly widely used.

NoisyLittleOtter · 18/09/2025 18:57

Yeah, there doesn’t need to be 2 punishments for the same ‘crime’. And doing something wrong shouldn’t negate the positive thing they’d already done.

NoisyLittleOtter · 18/09/2025 18:58

Octavia64 · 18/09/2025 18:57

If you had no points to start with you get negative points.

the school I used to teach at had this system.

it was a commercial system with a website and all do I presume fairly widely used.

Would they have got a detention as well as the removed point?

MyLimeGuide · 18/09/2025 19:00

bucketfull · 18/09/2025 18:42

What happens if they hadn’t earned any points yet? Negative balance?

Thats unfair though isn't it? Say 2 kids in year 11 both have 10 points deducted, one has no points to deduct, the other loses his points, they finish school, the kid with no earned points gets away with it! There is zero sense in this logic!

bridgetreilly · 18/09/2025 19:01

You can’t challenge it for your son in this instance.

But if you really think it is such a terrible strategy, you could become a parent governor and raise it there at a policy level.

rainbowsandraspberrygin · 18/09/2025 19:05

Agree with OP. You don’t have your last months salary deducted due to a misdemeanour at work.

the risk is - the kids won’t bother trying to get the points if they know they might lose them.

Theunamedcat · 18/09/2025 19:08

That seems a bit harsh one or the other not both I think detention is sufficient no need to take off something good the child has done it can cause apathy no point in doing anything good its wiped out if I do something bad

RightOnTheEdge · 18/09/2025 19:14

I actually think a detention for not handing a homework in on time is pretty harsh, my kids would only get a negative for that.

I don't think positive points should be taken away. My kids' school gives positive and negative points and they don't take away positive points.

Bluevelvetsofa · 18/09/2025 19:27

I think it’s a double punishment and I think that removing rewards already earned is demotivating. A detention for not handing in homework is acceptable, but I’d worry that removing positive points will make pupils feel there’s no point in trying.

A very flawed system.

Ablondiebutagoody · 18/09/2025 20:14

It's whatever the behaviour system is advertised as. Providing its consistent with that, it's fine.

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