Going Old School

– By Shabaz Sayed, Director: Pedagogy and Practice

A few years ago, we decided to revamp our school’s rewards and consequences system. Over time, we had noticed something important: our digital system of merits and demerits had lost its value. And as that value declined, so too did the impact we were hoping for—both in deterring poor behaviour and encouraging the behaviours we want to see.

Reflecting on this, there were a few key reasons why.

Firstly, the number of options available on our MIS had become overwhelming. This hadn’t happened overnight—it was the result of years of well-intentioned additions, trying to capture every possible scenario. But the end result reminded me of going to a restaurant with a huge menu. Instead of making things easier, it makes decision-making harder. You hesitate, overthink, or default to what you already know. When everything is an option, nothing feels clear.

I can see how we got there. It comes from a good place—trying to cover every eventuality, much like a restaurant trying to cater for everyone. But in reality, simplicity is what drives consistency and clarity.

The second issue was inconsistency in how the system was used. Some staff rarely used it. Others used it heavily but skewed towards demerits. Some were awarding merits for things that, in truth, should simply be expected—like being ready for learning.

There is always a caveat here. For some pupils, that may represent genuine progress. But culturally, and through the SMMA Way, we hold high expectations. Being ready to learn is the baseline. If we start rewarding the baseline, we blur the line between what is expected and what is exceptional. And when everything is rewarded, nothing feels earned.

The third issue was economic. Our system effectively had an unlimited supply of merits. And as with any system without limits, value begins to drop. It’s not dissimilar to inflation in an economy, or even cryptocurrencies, where oversupply reduces perceived worth. The more we gave out, the less they meant.

We saw this in practice with things like class merits, which were being awarded frequently. It became easy to reward everyone, but that ease came at a cost—the reward itself lost meaning. It began to resemble social media likes: if everything gets one, nothing feels significant.

So we made a shift.

We wanted something simple, tangible, and meaningful. When we looked at what had worked well before, one thing stood out: physical rewards such as badges or ties that pupils could actually hold.

So we introduced commendation stickers. Each sticker carries SMMA branding and is linked to a subject. Each member of staff has a limited supply. That scarcity immediately changes behaviour. It forces judgment. It creates a pause. In many ways, it’s like limited concert tickets—value comes from restriction, not abundance.

The sticker itself also matters. It is physical, not digital. It is seen, collected, and shared at home. It becomes a moment of recognition rather than a forgotten data point on a system. It also strengthens interactions. The simple act of a teacher handing a sticker to a pupil creates a moment—small, but meaningful.

We then built tracking into our Guardian Curriculum. For context, our pastoral system uses guardians (form tutors), families (form groups), and a structured pastoral programme delivered in dedicated time each fortnight. During this time, guardians review commendations with pupils, creating reflection and celebration alongside tracking. On our MIS, the system is now reduced to a single option: commendation stickers.

The feedback has been positive, though there is still refinement to do. As with any system, consistency matters. When it is not reinforced in staff forums, usage dips. That reminds us of a simple truth: systems don’t sustain themselves—they need continual cultural reinforcement.

Ultimately, the key learning has been this: rewards only work when they retain their value. And value comes from scarcity, consistency, and meaning—not volume.

Director of Pedagogy & Practice Shabaz Sayed (pictured on right) at a 2026 RISE event.