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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

House points tally on the class wall by the door.

36 replies

LittleFrieda · 18/04/2012 09:39

Is it normal for primary schools to display house points on the wall by the class door? DH and I went to see DD's (Yr1) work today and she said as we went in: "These are the house points, I'm last because I'm rubbish at reading and numeracy."

And she was last. Her behaviour is really excellent and she is making significiant progress, reading has been slow to click for her but she's whizzing now. She is always punctual and seldom off poorly. At our last parents' consultation with the teacher, the teacher said she is well behaved and she's always exceptionally kind to her classmates. In reception, her teacher told us she was one of very few children who had never had to be told to sit on the time-out mat.

I just feel cross that she has accepted this house point tally as evidence that she is useless.

Is this normal? It seems so schizophrenic that nobody is allowed to win a running race any more, but they can label children like this.

I feel so sad for her.

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huptwothree · 18/04/2012 09:50

This annoyed me too - in state school - where competition is discouraged in sport but not in the classroom when it makes life easier for the teachers

They do it at my dcs indie school but it is much more cleverly done as sporting prowess/musical achievements/manners count towards house points. Much fairer.

Original poster

LittleFrieda · 18/04/2012 10:11

huptwothree thanks, yes.

I feel like pointing out to the school that it's discouraging to those who are struggling. But it will look like sour grapes won't it? I'm wondering if I would feel the same if she was way out in front in the house points tally. I think I would still feel it was a bit of a horrible system but I perhaps wouldn't complain as it wouldn't be damaging my child's self-esteem.

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CarpeJugulum · 18/04/2012 10:21

Our school did house points rather than individual points - we earned points for good work, winning things at sports day (although all competitors were given points for starting, with extra if you won) doing extra tasks for the teacher etc.

We lost for bad behaviour, forgotten work and the like.

Meant that kids wanted to win points, and had peer pressure not to lose points. However, it also meant that nothing was an individual display - although teachers did mention (at school assembly) individuals who had done really well or (I suspect!) better than the teacher expected. It was also done on a fortnightly basis in line with the assemblies so that if your house had a crap week, it didn't follow the whole year and discourage you from trying if you were xxx points behind. I also suspect the teachers may have engineered results

I'd mention to the teacher that your DD is getting discouraged regarding her progress - and ask if there is anything that can be done.

crazygracieuk · 18/04/2012 10:24

I would ask the teacher about it.

My children's schools have them and they have been given points for effort as well as achievement. My daughter finds numeracy harder than literacy but gets more for numeracy. I'm really pleased that her teacher has noticed that she has improved on her times tables (we practice at home) .

I found that the problems were that quiet children were often overlooked in favour of the outgoing and louder children and that children who sat nearest the teachers ended up getting more points than those not directly in the line of sight of the teacher. (the teacher tended to look at certain types of children more than others)

gabsid · 18/04/2012 10:31

I would definitely point it out to the teacher and if it wasn't taken away from display I would see the head teacher.

I thought house points were not so much about academic achievement but about effort and all the other things you metioned your DD to be good at. I think the teacher should have a re-think about what she gives house points for!

In my experience as a secondary teacher I feel it is easy to forget the children who are always quiet and well behaved and give more house points to children who are lively or less well behaved because as soon as they do well they are rewarded.

There is one school I worked in who had quite a good system: each child started off with the maximum number of house points at the beginning of term and then points would be taken off for poor behaviour or effort.

stealthsquiggle · 18/04/2012 10:42

I wouldn't have a problem with the chart being up on the wall ("good mark" charts always were in DS's classrooms, but then they are also allowed to win races - school has no time for "non-competitive" sport ) but she should be able to earn them for good behaviour and kindness just as much as for academic stuff - that is just mean, IMHO, and I would query with the teacher/school what the purpose of / principal behind house points is, as I would bet they are not meant to be only for academic stuff.

Original poster

LittleFrieda · 18/04/2012 10:44

Thanks all for your insight.

We've worked exceptionally hard at home with DD. I honestly feel nobody could have worked harder than her these past six months. She's made significant progress. But she is probably still significantly behind many others in her class but so what. It's not through a lack of effort.

She is bright. My eldest sons were slow starters too but thankfully they weren't at such a ridiculously pushy school.

She's 6 and already thinks she's useless. That's horrible isn't it?

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crazygracieuk · 18/04/2012 10:59

That is really sad. I hope she knows all her good points.

gabsid · 18/04/2012 11:15

My DS's school is not pushy at all and that has been good for him. No competitive sport (DS is useless at sport). He has no idea where he is academically. However, neither do the parents!!!

I have had issues this year as I felt DS was behind in maths and we worked very hard at home. It was not noticed in school, I went in to ask where he was and was told that the school doesn't give levels to parents, neither did I get much information out of the teacher for a long while, until she tested his maths and moved him up 3 sets!

I wish there could be some middle way.

gabsid · 18/04/2012 11:19

The house points would be a great opportunity to get your DD's confidence up, reward her for all that hard work and the good behaviour. And I am sure the academic stuff will follow ... she is only 6!

I do feel sad for you and your DD. But please point out your concerns!

Chubfuddler · 18/04/2012 11:24

Are you sure of what house points are awarded for? I mean are you sure they are only for academic work? If that is the case I would challenge it but in general I think house points are a very good thing.

Someone has the least points at any given time, it won't always be your child.

blackteaplease · 18/04/2012 11:27

Why are the house points shown individually? Back in the day when I was at primary we had a chart of house points that showed each house only, then whenever house points were earned they went into the relevant house. That way its a group effort, rather than a ranking of individuals.

Original poster

LittleFrieda · 18/04/2012 11:56

Good point, re the fact that they should be displayed for the house, not the individual.

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Original poster

LittleFrieda · 18/04/2012 12:31

Do people think I should say something? Like:

Do you realise how demotivating your individual house points league table can be?

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GooseyLoosey · 18/04/2012 12:34

Yes I do. Your dd should earn house points for reaching targets which are appropriate to her. You need to work out with the teacher what those targets should be and then she can see herself moving up and regaining her confidence. They should be for effort and individual attainment not for performance against the average.

seeker · 18/04/2012 12:36

It's not the house points being on display that's the problem, it's the system for dishing them out.

blackteaplease · 18/04/2012 12:38

It is though seeker as they are done individually which makes them a league table of merit points for acheivement.

Original poster

LittleFrieda · 18/04/2012 12:46

Seeker - I disagree. Someone has to be last or joint last, that's unnecessary and horrid for 5 and 6 year olds.

It isn't just the teacher who dishes out the points, it's also the parent helpers.

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Original poster

LittleFrieda · 18/04/2012 12:47

Perhaps I should redress the balance by becoming a parent helper.

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Abzs · 18/04/2012 12:52

We had 'team points' at my primary school.

They were awarded for any achievement with effort, things you'd had to try hard at. They were identified by person.

The points were recorded by colouring in cm squares on a sheet of paper. Oh, the joy of filling up the allotted space and having to have another bit of paper pasted over.

If you misbehaved you lost points and had to black out some of the ones already marked. And everyone knew.

Original poster

LittleFrieda · 18/04/2012 13:53

Apparently the points are awarded for making a good point in class, good homework, good work in class, etc.

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ripsishere · 18/04/2012 14:30

Sounds odd to me, but. At one of DDs schools they all had a laminated piece of paper with their names on. If they did some good work, spoke well, were kind etc. they got a star. Once they'd got up to a certain number, the teacher gave them a small bar of chocolate. DD never got that.
The points weren't ever taken off.
At the same school, they were allocated houses to be in. The houses would compete at sports day, quizzes and the like. That was motivaitonal.

Taffeta · 18/04/2012 14:37

"Good" is subjective though, eh op? My DD is also in Y1 and has never come home with anything. No star of the week, no stickers, nada.

She is well behaved, not a shining star but not in the bottom section, doesn't make a fuss.

I spoke to her teacher about it last month at Parents Evening. I said I thought her confidence was being affected by it - how she seems invisible. The teacher admitted she wasn't "one of the ones that tugs at my trousers" and said she's make an effort to recognise more of DD's work.

I think if you have an average ability, relatively quiet, non attention seeking, never in trouble child, they can just be forgotten. No stars or points or stickers because they are just plodding along nicely and invisible. IME, its my job as a parent, to stick my head above the parapet and tug at the teacher's trousers a bit.

gabsid · 18/04/2012 16:40

I only know of house point being displayed by house - that's why they are called house points I thought.

When I speak to the teacher I generally approach it by just asking questions, e.g. ask her about how your DD behaves and works in class, how the house points system works, what house points are given for and why they are displayed in the classroom ... only then I would tell her about how your DD feels about them, what she said to you and the hard work she puts in.

Original poster

LittleFrieda · 18/04/2012 16:50

gabsid Thank you. I operate along very similar lines. I feel the same as you and at some point soon, I will seize an opportunity to ask some leading questions. :)

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