Hawera High School: New app rewards students for good behaviour

Skye Boyes and Shakaia Woodhead, both 16, Phil Parkinson, and Jackson Beare and Jesse Whelan, both 16.

A south Taranaki school has developed an app to reward students for good behaviour.

Hāwera High School's PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) team has developed Tauira Toa Points, a points system whereby staff give students points for demonstrating positive behaviour.

PB4L committee member Phil Parkinson says the PB4L team wanted to modernise the existing points system.

"We had a process in place that used tickets but it was very time consuming. The new rewards system is more quick and efficient for both the teachers and students."

Tauira Toa Points uses an app where students and teachers can log in.

"The staff and students have the app downloaded onto their phones. The staff give the students the points and the students can log in to the Tauira Toa Points app and see how many points they have received."

He says the school is working alongside app developers and the Ministry of Education.

"We're providing feedback to the Ministry of Education and working with the app developers to see how we can improve the app."

Principal Rachel Williams says students will receive points for displaying the school's values.

"They are being respectful, responsible, and ready to learn. It's about recognising the students for their good behaviour, being consistent with how we reward the students, and providing an incentive for the students to keep up the good behaviour."

The points can be used to redeem items from the Tauira Toa Points rewards store.

"Once students have received enough points they can redeem different items from the store."

The school manages the items that can be purchased, Phil says.

"They can buy uniform or stationery items. We're in the process of talking to local businesses to see if they would be interested in donating vouchers or other items to go in the store. The students can decide what they get out of the rewards system."

Phil says the students are reacting positively to the app.

"They're all getting involved and actively asking how they can earn more points."

He says the staff can monitor school trends with the app.

"We can see what the students are doing well and the areas they might need help with."

He says the rewards system will also benefit the community.

"It can bring more foot traffic to the local businesses as a student may bring their friends or family into the store while redeeming a voucher. It gets people in the store. The PB4L team will also promote the business, it's good marketing for them."

■ Local businesses wanting to get involved can contact the school office at 06 278 4145.