The rewards system

Pythag · 20/02/2026 16:29

QuickTraybake · 20/02/2026 16:08

More and more rewards have been put in place in my son’s secondary school, and I believe it is too much now.
They go heavy on the class charts points. He has about 1600 now just for being “ready to learn” and just existing.
There is also the dreaded 100% attendance award which lots of parents think isn’t fair. Why are we rewarding children for not getting poorly??
Lastly lots of certificates and things for certain subjects (eg mathematician of the week).
Is it just a really good rewards system, or do they need to slow down?

As a teacher and head of year, I am in favour of rewarding attendance. We know that COVID reduced attendance and we know that attainment and attendance are linked and we know that vulnerable students struggle with attendance the most. Anything that we can do to improve attendance is worth doing! Giving achievement points for 100% attendance is worth doing, because it is sending out a strong signal to students and parents that attendance is really important !

elliejjtiny · 20/02/2026 16:49

I'm all in favour of rewards for being ready to learn etc. Some dc need that kind of motivation. Can't stand attendance awards though. So many chronically ill children will never get one through no fault of their own.

SquareSweetsThatLookRound · 20/02/2026 16:54

Ours can spend them on special treats on a Friday- that’s always really popular. Or tickets for the Games Room, queue jump at lunch, enter competitions for bigger prizes (iPads, bikes ect)

Pythag · 20/02/2026 16:55

It is true that chronically ill children won’t get attendance rewards, but I am not really worried about the children of people who are motivated to attend school already.

I am worried about the children of people who are not motivated to attend - I want them to receive as many signals as possible that I - as their teacher - really value attendance.

stomachamelon · 20/02/2026 17:01

I am a teacher and they are a huge incentive for behaviour to improve and also attendance. Even at the PRU (where positive things were in short supply) students really loved some recognition eg ready to learn to motivate them (especially if education wasn’t valued)

I do class dojos now and find the positive in every day. I can’t underline how important this is (and my students now are all neurodivergent)

Nicelynicelyjohnson · 20/02/2026 17:01

I really dislike attendance rewards but I don't work in a school so if people who do do like them, then that's great.
My DC used to miss out on them as their attendance was 98/99% - and it certainly didn't reach the people at 50-70% as it was unachievable for them.
So I am not sure who did benefit ... I guess the motivated kids who didn't get sick?

I think Y7-Y9 kids like reward points and getting treats, after that for mine it was just a bit embarrassing to get five house points for collecting workbooks at the end of class or whatever.

Pythag · 20/02/2026 17:09

Nicelynicelyjohnson · 20/02/2026 17:01

I really dislike attendance rewards but I don't work in a school so if people who do do like them, then that's great.
My DC used to miss out on them as their attendance was 98/99% - and it certainly didn't reach the people at 50-70% as it was unachievable for them.
So I am not sure who did benefit ... I guess the motivated kids who didn't get sick?

I think Y7-Y9 kids like reward points and getting treats, after that for mine it was just a bit embarrassing to get five house points for collecting workbooks at the end of class or whatever.

People on 50% attendance of course don’t get attendance rewards, but they can still benefit from being at a school that has systems for focusing on attendance in place. They receive the communication that the school is checking attendance and caring about it, and it can have the effect of moving someone from 50% attendance to 80% attendance, which is life-changing.

Of course, attendance rewards are not the only thing I do to try to improve attendance, I also do specific phone calls home, emails, other interventions.

People who don’t like attendance rewards do need to suggest what other things I should do instead to improve attendance - I am all ears!

Nicelynicelyjohnson · 20/02/2026 17:24

Pythag · 20/02/2026 17:09

People on 50% attendance of course don’t get attendance rewards, but they can still benefit from being at a school that has systems for focusing on attendance in place. They receive the communication that the school is checking attendance and caring about it, and it can have the effect of moving someone from 50% attendance to 80% attendance, which is life-changing.

Of course, attendance rewards are not the only thing I do to try to improve attendance, I also do specific phone calls home, emails, other interventions.

People who don’t like attendance rewards do need to suggest what other things I should do instead to improve attendance - I am all ears!

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You sound like a nice teacher and as I said, if they are working for you that's great.
I guess I'd be focusing on above 95% and rewarding that, so good kids who miss the odd day are not seen as less than those who never miss a day.

And maybe some kind of attendance leap awards, so that kids who improved their attendance since the previous term got a chance at a reward too.

Pythag · 20/02/2026 17:35

Nicelynicelyjohnson · 20/02/2026 17:24

You sound like a nice teacher and as I said, if they are working for you that's great.
I guess I'd be focusing on above 95% and rewarding that, so good kids who miss the odd day are not seen as less than those who never miss a day.

And maybe some kind of attendance leap awards, so that kids who improved their attendance since the previous term got a chance at a reward too.

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My aims with attendance rewards are not really to do with children’s feelings per se, but to improve attendance.

I personally don’t like 95% attendance rewards as a general policy, because that actually isn’t great attendance (it is missing one day every month) and it risks telling people that 95% attendance is the aim, which is not something I believe. It also risks rewarding people who had a day off even when they are not ill!

If people improve attendance from a low base, then of course I do a lot to celebrate that, but typically a more private celebration rather than a public celebration makes sense.

Jellycatspyjamas · 20/02/2026 17:58

But surely 95% is much more achievable for most kids than 100%. My DD never has more than 90% because she has weekly therapy with CAMHS that takes her out one afternoon a week. I’ve had her asking to miss her therapy because teachers make side comments about her not being in school despite knowing why she’s absent.

In making the target more achievable you incentivise kids who might otherwise have a day off because only 100% gets rewarded so what’s the point.

Pythag · 20/02/2026 18:04

Jellycatspyjamas · 20/02/2026 17:58

But surely 95% is much more achievable for most kids than 100%. My DD never has more than 90% because she has weekly therapy with CAMHS that takes her out one afternoon a week. I’ve had her asking to miss her therapy because teachers make side comments about her not being in school despite knowing why she’s absent.

In making the target more achievable you incentivise kids who might otherwise have a day off because only 100% gets rewarded so what’s the point.

You sound like a responsible parent, who cares about attendance, which is great. But, with respect, I am not really putting in place attendance systems to deal with people like you, because you are not a problem! I am putting in place systems to deal with people who have problematic attendance and parents who are not motivated about attendance.

The point is improving attendance! That is the point! The specific feelings of a kid who has 95% attendance and a parent who cares about attendance are neither here nor there - that kid will be fine! Policies that improve attendance are worth having! Attendance policies that don’t improve attendance are not worth having!

elliejjtiny · 20/02/2026 21:07

Pythag · 20/02/2026 17:09

People on 50% attendance of course don’t get attendance rewards, but they can still benefit from being at a school that has systems for focusing on attendance in place. They receive the communication that the school is checking attendance and caring about it, and it can have the effect of moving someone from 50% attendance to 80% attendance, which is life-changing.

Of course, attendance rewards are not the only thing I do to try to improve attendance, I also do specific phone calls home, emails, other interventions.

People who don’t like attendance rewards do need to suggest what other things I should do instead to improve attendance - I am all ears!

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The thing that would improve my child's attendance is if they bring back the local clinic for dc's specialist consultant so he doesn't have to go 90 minutes away to see his dr. If dentists could be funded properly so I could take dc to the dentist round the corner from school instead of 45 minutes drive away that would be good too.

TeenToTwenties · 21/02/2026 14:54

My DD's school did something like certificates for 95%+ attendance but then a different colour one for 100%, (and possibly I think also an 'improved attendance' too).

DD really liked the house points in y7 and y8 and really missed them from y9 when far fewer were given out. It was a real shame as she was motivated by being noticed and praised and it helped her self esteem. She was 'young for her age' and did feel the drop off in y9 quite a lot.