Following some discussion amongst staff – much of it prompted by a brilliant book we’ve all been reading on behaviour – we have decided to change the way we award our house points.
Whilst we value the team ethic and sense of belonging the houses bring, we have realised that the current system has a major anomaly; namely that an individual child may win a lot of house points over a year, but not be rewarded. Conversely, a child who contributes little or nothing could win the big reward, just for being in the ‘right’ house.
So, from January, house points will be allocated to specific children and recorded on our digital information management system. The system recognises which house they are in so the concept of the houses still exists.
Each term, the winning house will continue to be awarded the trophy and offered a non-uniform day or similar bonus.
The annual treat – usually a trip to the cinema – will be won by the children with the most points accrued personally. We hope you will agree that this seems fairer.
House points will continue to be awarded just as they are now, for outstanding demonstration of the school values and effort or achievement above and beyond expectations. As now, they will not be thrown around like confetti. They are high-value, but equitably attainable by all. Typically, a class has a ‘ration’ of 20-30 per week.
At various points through the year, there will be bonus points awarded across the entire school. The following list of examples is not exhaustive and is still a ‘work in progress’. By and large, we hope that these will reward the children who are maybe quietly getting along doing the right things, those who might otherwise slip under the ‘radar’.
- No detentions in a given period
- Uniform spot checks
- No unauthorised absence in a given period
- Ditto, no lates
The system will be entirely positive. No house points will ever be taken away. House points will not be used as a ‘league table’ of behaviour and will not be displayed in class or elsewhere in school. For encouragement though, we will regularly update children and their families with the top xx, number to be decided.