DS is going to see Harry Potter with school. It's a reward for all the pupils that have got no demerit slips

[Ormirian]

I know that there was a general consensus on here that rewards for attendance were not a good idea. And I am delighted for DS who is looking forward to it but surely it should be expected that pupils don't get demerits?

I am torn.

It would seem better if it were for the ones with merits?

Maybe there are too many with merits. And not so many without demerits

But getting no demerits implies that this is their merit, so don't see why it's a prob tbh. Wish I was going with them!

Ok. For the ones with more than x merits (and no demerits?)

It is expected that children do not get demerits. So well done to your DS for living up to those high expectations.
Getting a demerit is usually a matter of actively making inappropriate choices.
I take it this is just for the 2 1/2 months we've been back at school?
So there will be other opportunities for those that didn't make it this time?

Yes it should be expected that they don't get demerits. But it is all too easy for the children who are ALWAYS well behaved to just be taken for granted, so I think this is a nice idea. There are a lot of things that are expected of me at work, but I do have to work hard to achieve them all- and it's nice to have my efforts recognised sometimes. I would see this in the same light I think.

Yes, just for this term. So also plenty of chance for the pupils to fuck it up

Funnily enough this school has a real problem with attendance - it has a outstanding Ofsted report but the main negative was the truancy levels. They do reward attendance too - there's a draw amongst all the pupils with 100% attendance for a bike.

I have a dd who has never got into trouble at school, and a ds who fairly frequently does. She absolutely loves to please whilst he really does find it a great deal harder to be good (school good that is). He is old enough now to really understand that his actions have consequences and (mostly) to be able to stop before he goes too far, but it has taken many more years and a lot of support to get there.

It sounds to me more that everyone is going on this trip except those with demerits, so essentially more of a punishment for those who have misbehaved than a reward for those that have. I don't necessarily think that this is a bad thing, so long as the children likely to misbehave knew that a sanction was likely and that they were able to change their behaviour.

DS4 has demerits & can't go on his form outing to see Harry Potter at the cinema. He was upset about this, so hopefully this will encourage him to think before acting inappropriately in future. Also an "outstanding" school, but don't think it's same one as OP's because I haven't heard anything about a draw to win a bike - DS4s attendance is excellent - maybe I should suggest it!

Curious! Are you in Somerset cheapskate?

Rewarding/punishing children for their behaviour is fine, rewarding/punishing them purely for attendance rates is disgraceful, IMHO, unless it takes into account the reasons for absence.

Where children (and/or parents for that matter) suffer from chronic medical conditions which necessitate regular hospital appointments or time off school, they should not be penalised. My children would not be attending a school which gives out bikes just for turning up.