Should schools be handing out cash for grades? Is it a useful incentive or a waste of money? We look at the how three of these controversial schemes are working. In the four years since it opened its doors the City Academy Bristol has spent over £400,000 motivating its students to pass exams. In 2006, when this programme was filmed, five other secondary schools had followed suit. The government spent a million pounds on incentive schemes through New Deal for Communities and other funds available to areas of deprivation beteeen 2002 and 2006. The schemes have proved controversial. This programme looks in depth at how schemes work around the country and follows three GCSE students at City Academy Bristol through year eleven to see if the promise of cash really does motivate academic achievement. The City Academy Bristol cash incentive scheme stopped running in the academic year 2007/08.

Video Series: School Matters
Release Date 2006