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For the headteacher

Eight questions

Each comes with why it matters and what the law or official guidance says. Point to the source; you don't need to argue it.

1. Can points be taken away once earned, and what's the reasoning?

   Why this onePoints that can be lost turn a reward into a penalty. A child can end the week worse off for something small.

   What the law and guidance say

   A maintained school's headteacher must set the behaviour measures, including rules and disciplinary penalties (Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.89). The DfE's Behaviour in schools guidance is non-statutory, but expects sanctions to be set out in the policy. A penalty that isn't in the policy is worth asking about.

2. If the school only gives positive points, what does a child with none look like next to a child with twenty?

   Why this oneZero is only neutral on its own. On a board, next to everyone else's ten, zero is a negative.

   What the law and guidance say

   There is no rule specific to this. DfE guidance expects schools to reinforce good behaviour positively, so the school should be able to explain how its system does that for every child, not only the highest scorers.

3. Is any child's score displayed where other children can see it?

   Why this oneA public score ranks children in front of their classmates, and their classmates' parents hear about it.

   What the law and guidance say

   Information about an identifiable child is personal data under UK data protection law, which requires it to be used fairly and kept to what is necessary. Ask what the school's reason is for showing scores to other pupils, and where that is written down.

4. What adjustments are made for children with SEND, and where are they written down?

   Why this oneBeing late, losing things or forgetting homework can cost points even when the cause is a difficulty, not defiance. See the briefing for the detail and the February 2026 ruling.

   What the law and guidance say

   Under the Equality Act 2010 a school must take reasonable steps to avoid putting a disabled pupil at a disadvantage (s.20), and must not treat a disabled pupil unfavourably because of something arising from their disability (s.15). The DfE's behaviour guidance asks schools to consider reasonable adjustments to sanctions, and whether a pupil's SEND has contributed to their behaviour.

5. Can you show me the points data broken down by SEND status, ethnicity and free school meal eligibility?

   Why this oneThis is the strongest question on the page. If the answer is “we've never looked”, that is itself the finding.

   What the law and guidance say

   Schools have a public sector equality duty to have “due regard” to eliminating discrimination and advancing equality of opportunity (Equality Act 2010, s.149). The DfE's guidance says that analysis must be done seriously and rigorously, not as a tick-box exercise. It also encourages schools to analyse behaviour data by protected characteristic.

6. Who reviews whether it's working, against what measure, and when was it last reviewed?

   Why this oneA system that has never been checked can't be said to work. “It's always been done this way” is not evidence.

   What the law and guidance say

   The DfE guidance encourages schools to monitor and evaluate behaviour using effective data capture. The governing body sets the principles the headteacher works to, so governors are the right people to ask about review.

7. Was this a whole-school decision or a classroom one?

   Why this oneSome classrooms run their own point systems. Your child may be scored under rules that nobody outside that room has seen.

   What the law and guidance say

   The headteacher must determine the school's behaviour measures and make them known to parents, and bring them to the attention of pupils and parents at least once every school year (Education and Inspections Act 2006, s.89). A classroom system that isn't part of the published policy is worth asking about.

8. What happens to the data: who holds it, where, for how long, and what was I asked to agree to?

   Why this oneIn a 2018 Survation poll for defenddigitalme, 24% of parents did not know whether their child had been signed up to a system using their personal data.

   What the law and guidance say

   UK data protection law gives parents and pupils the right to be told how personal data is used. The ICO says an app provider counts as a controller of the data it uses for its own purposes, such as product development. Processing for the school's educational purposes should stay limited to that. The ICO's Children's code also applies to services likely to be used by children.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Statutory duties differ between maintained schools and academies, so ask which applies to your school. The 2026 tribunal ruling referred to is UW v Cheam Academies Network (SEN) [2026] UKUT 53 (AAC), summarised in the briefing.