KNOWLEDGE used to be its own reward, according to the old saying.
But a Manchester school is offering a more tangible prize for youngsters making the grade in their GCSEs - £100 cash.
Derek Davies, head teacher of Stretford High School, will give the money to any pupil earning five good grades in this summer's exams.
Since his arrival at the struggling, 737-pupil mixed secondary modern last year, Mr Davies has brought in a range of incentives to boost attainment, attendance and punctuality.
When the year 11s arrive at school to collect their results on August 25, they could also find an envelope full of crisp £10 notes.
Mr Davies announced the plan by waving a handful of notes at a packed assembly and said many of the youngsters assumed he was joking. "They do keep asking me if I'm winding them up, but I'm not," he said. "I'm happy to reward them."
Mr Davies, who was drafted in to turn the school around after it was judged to be failing by Ofsted inspectors, added: "Since I arrived, I have promoted rewards at different levels.
"This is just one part of a package for motivation and raising standards.
Decision
"I didn't make the decision lightly, because some pupils will work their socks off, but will never achieve this level - so we will find other ways to reward people, too."
Last year, just 17 per cent of pupils achieved five or more A*-to-C grade GCSEs at Stretford High, which was put into "special measures".
But Mr Davies reckons 30 per cent could now make the grade . . . which could mean a payout of about £4,500.
The prizes will be paid for by cricket fans - who pay to park on school land when visiting nearby Old Trafford ground.
"This has nothing to do with the school budget," said Mr Davies. "We let out land for parking and Sky also hire one of our fields, so it's income the school has generated itself.
"I made the offer just when the stress and the pressure was getting to people. And it just seemed to be something that would lift their spirits."
Since Mr Davies arrived, an interim Ofsted report on the school has described student behaviour as "impeccable" and pointed to an improvement in the quality of teaching and learning.
Should pupils be offered a cash incentive to do well in exams? Have your say.
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In light of the recent slatting Traford MBC received as a result of the shambles at Jeff Joseph school. Trafford has gone from one of the top 5% of boroughs in the country to the bottom 25% all in the last six years. It is time Labour were booted out and the borough is once again the pride of manchester. That way the grammar school will produce the calibre of students we need not just more dole fodder.
Yeah they should be given money for good behaviour and grades but only if it comes out of the teachers pay packets
Apart from the fact it is totally immoral for a school to be paying its students for their grades, how on earth do you justify it to the MAJORITY of the students who do not achieve five "good" grades. What about all the students who exceed expectations but still don't make the 5 "good" grades? I cannot believe that Trafford LEA are allowing this to happen - it is so wrong, but then in the past few weeks Trafford LEA have shown they really don't care about their secondary modern schools. It's a disgrace that three of them have gone into special measures - when will the LEA be held accountable?