RULES, SANCTIONS AND REWARDS IN PRIMARY-SCHOOLS

Twenty-four primary schools were randomly selected from all those list ed in a local education authority in the West Midlands of England. Hea ds or deputy headteachers of 21 of these schools were interviewed usin g a structured interview schedule very similar to the one used for a r ecent survey of secondary schools. Data were obtained about the genera l rule structures of the schools and the system of sanctions and rewar ds used to maintain them. The findings were then compared with those f rom the secondary survey. Primary schools were less likely than second ary schools to have written rule structures but most were in the proce ss of producing them in response to new pressures. It was more common for all the teachers in the primary school to be considered responsibl e for seeing that rules were kept. Generally, primary school headteach ers identified fewer sanctions being used to uphold their rules than i n secondary schools. The number of rewards used in both types of schoo l was about equal. Comment is made on the difference between sanctions and rewards identified as being used in schools and some observed cla ssroom practice.