PUPILS at Preston Lodge High School are being encouraged to take a more active role in the wider community by using a new points system which can earn them prizes.

The Epraise system allows teachers to award points online to students for achievements ranging from academic to helpful.

And pupils are able to swap these Praise Points for a variety of things from pens and pencils to tickets to football matches or the cinema.

Preston Lodge is one of only two schools in Scotland currently signed up to Epraise, which has proved a successful motivator for students since it launched in England in 2009.

Clint Lanyon, head of humanities at the school, said Epraise aimed to reward pupils who lived up to the school’s aims and values as well as their 5 Rs - Resilience, Resourcefulness, Reflection, Responsibility and Reasoning.

He said: “Achievements can be academic, sporting or something different such as assisting with a community project or volunteering for a local organisation.

“All points awarded to students automatically count towards the school’s house competition, developing a sense of teamwork and inclusiveness where every pupil feels they can play an active part in achieving the House Cup at the end of the academic year.

“It is hoped that, by introducing this system, more students will engage with the wider life of the school and community whilst at the same time be able to set themselves realistic and achievable targets where their efforts can be translated into rewards.”

Mr Lanyon said the focus on the school’s 5Rs helped not only make students better learners but also better equipped for the world beyond school.

And he called on local community groups or projects, where pupils could earn points, to get involved.

He said: “There is an opportunity for the local community to get involved in the life of the school by providing opportunities for students to achieve points.”

Anyone wishing to find out more should contact Mr Lanyon (clanyon@edubuzz.org) for more information.