Housepoint Awards: How They Work

The two points will almost always be given to different students.

Double Housepoint Days

On the final day of lessons in each school week (usually Thursday) double housepoints are awarded. This means that four points, instead of two, will be awarded in each lesson that day. At least one of the four points will be for achievement and at least one will be for attitude. Points arising from assessment lessons, competitions, other special reasons or which are given on a discretionary basis (as detailed below) are not doubled.

Assessment Lessons

Housepoints are not awarded during any lesson that is devoted entirely to formal assessment. Instead, the two points for that lesson will be carried over to the lesson in which the test results are issued. The top performing student will receive the achievement point and the student who has secured the greatest improvement or otherwise demonstrated the most effort will receive the attitude point.

Net Points

Behaviour points are subtracted from positive housepoint totals, to obtain the net points for each student. So, for example, a student who receives 65 housepoints but also receives 10 behaviour points has 55 net points (Bronze Award), not 65 (Silver Award).

Aims Of The Housepoint System

• to provide quick recognition and positive reinforcement of various desired actions;
• to be quick and simple to administer;
• to reinforce the school’s focus on both achievement and attitude;
• to have published criteria so that students know how they can gain housepoints;
• to be just as applicable in Year 13 as in Year 6, through self-differentiating criteria;
• to have in-built consistency, so that students see the system as being fair;
• transparency: students should be able to see what housepoints they have received;
• to provide students with a fresh start in every lesson;
• to tap into the positive peer pressure effect of winning for the House;
• to trigger known rewards when students reach certain numbers of housepoints;
• to be high profile, so that the system also reduces the need to issue sanctions.

Operation Of The Housepoint System

• Housepoints are usually awarded towards the end of a lesson, as part of a review or plenary.
• Students must not ask their teacher for a housepoint or nominate another student for one, unless this has been permitted by the teacher as part of a self- or peer-assessment activity.
• Teachers will always explain why they awarded the achievement and attitude points.
• Teachers record housepoints during each lesson using the SIMS database (except in PE, where they have to be recorded on SIMS after the lesson).

Competition Start And End

• Each year's House Competition starts anew on the first day of Term 1.
• The competition ends for MP students on the last day of their end-of-year examinations.
• The competition ends for UD and SF students on the last day of the end-of-Year 9-10 examinations.
• The final House Competition results are published on the last day of the end-of-Year 9-10 examinations.
• Students who finish with 30 net points or higher receive a certificate corresponding to their award level.
• Year 6-10 students' certificates are included with their summer reports.
• Year 11-13 students may only receive their certificates in person when collecting their external examination results in August.
• Housepoint certificates cannot be reprinted, mailed or sent electronically.
• If a student leaves the school before the end of an academic year, no certificate will be issued and their net points for that academic year will not count towards the House total.

Housepoints For Service To The School Community

• Students appointed as prefects each receive 10 housepoints.
• Librarians who perform their duties well may earn up to one housepoint per two weeks.
• Secondary School Councillors may receive one housepoint for each meeting they attend.
• House Captains may receive one housepoint for each weekly meeting that they attend with their House Head.
• Year 6-9 Class Tutors may award up to one housepoint per two weeks to Class Monitors who do their job well.
• National Anthem musicians who serve reliably will receive up to 10 housepoints per term.
• Musicians who reliably attend rehearsals will receive up to 5 housepoints per term, per ensemble. A maximum of two ensembles will be counted.
• Tahya Al-Kuwait line-up callers will receive up to one housepoint per week.
• Students who assist at the IGCSE Information Evening will receive up to 3 housepoints.
• Students who help at the opening of the annual art exhibition will receive 3 housepoints.
• Students who participate in the annual Remembrance Service will receive 3 housepoints.
• Non-medal winning participants and helpers at the BSME triathlon will receive 2 housepoints.
• Sixth Formers who help at the BAS/BAIA Carnival may receive up to 5 housepoints.
• Students who help to organise or run a major event may receive up to 5 housepoints.
• Participate in an assembly. The Coordinator may give housepoints.

Discretionary Housepoints

Coordinators, Head Teachers and the Principal may reward exceptional achievements or attitudes by awarding housepoints. In addition, House Heads may award up to two housepoints to any student in their House who makes a special contribution to a House event or who otherwise serves the House Head or the members of the House.

Rewards For Gaining Housepoints

Housepoint Award thresholds are based on the following net points totals:

• Names and net points of students who reach a new Housepoint Award threshold are published each week on the BSK Facebook page.
• Certificates are issued at the end of the school year for the final award level achieved.
• The names and net points totals of Housepoint Award winners are archived on this website.
• Winter and summer reports include students' positive and negative points (but not net points).