Park Primary in Stranraer is taking part in an initiative that gets pupils directly involved in behaviour management and rewards those who behave well.

Pupils and teachers have worked together to agree on a new “Respect” vision for the school, focusing on “respecting each other”, “respecting yourself ” and “respecting learning”. To allow children to identify with the vision, a “Respect” uniform and stationery have been created, which are sold at the “Respect” shop.

Rewarding positive behaviour is the focus of the scheme, which places every pupil in one of four teams: Patience, Achievement, Respect or Kindness. The teams can earn merits for good behaviour, with progress charted throughout the term.

The merits translate into team points and can earn weekly treats. All school staff, including janitors, office workers, classroom assistants and playground supervisors, can award merits, and senior pupils take on the role of “Respectables”, peer mediators who deal with low-level incidents in the playground.

Pupils’ good behaviour can also earn individual rewards: those who do not feature in the school’s incident book are entered into a prize draw on the last Wednesday of every month.

Prizes, contributed by parents, staff, local businesses and churches, include gym passes, beauty treatments at the local college and a VIP pass for a tour of the police station, as well as signed footballs, golf coaching and horse riding.

Principal teacher Lisa Calderwood says the changes in behaviour have been striking: “Attitudes have changed, incidents in class have reduced, and we are working together fantastically as a team. Pupils have a brilliant awareness of what respect actually means, and we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved.”