When Rewards Stop Working: How To Build Behaviour That Lasts

Ever had that moment where your reward system just… stops working? The stickers lose their sparkle, the house points barely register, and suddenly every child in your class is asking, “What do I get if I follow the rules?” It’s frustrating, it’s exhausting, and it leaves you wondering what on earth to try next. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we unpack why reward systems lose power over time – and what the science of motivation says we should be doing instead. We’ll explore the hedonic treadmill, reward inflation, and the classic study that shows how easy it is to accidentally kill intrinsic motivation in children. And we’ll look at why transactional “tit for tat” systems can be especially damaging for pupils with SEMH and SEND needs. Then we’ll dig into what actually works long-term. You’ll learn how to build behaviour that lasts, how to make motivation stick even when there’s a supply teacher in the room, and how to transition away from over-reliance on stickers and points without causing a classroom riot. If you want your pupils to behave well because it’s who they are – not because they think they’ll earn a token, house point, Dojo and sticker – this episode is for you. Important links: Get your copy of the Classroom Management Scoresheet: Download other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: School leaders: Join us at the National SEMH Conference (October 2026) It's a whole day focused on the real SEMH, behaviour and inclusion pressures facing schools - and what leaders can do next. Plus, right now you can get Super Early Bird tickets at £250 - find out more and book your place here.

You can listen to When Rewards Stop Working: How To Build Behaviour That Lasts online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

When Rewards Stop Working: How To Build Behaviour That Lasts is an episode from School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton by Beacon School Support.

This episode is 20:20 long.

This episode was published on Nov 24, 2025.

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