An educational website pioneered in Sunderland is teaching primary school youngsters how to leave their bad behaviour behind.
Classrooms across the city are signing up to the Tree system, which tackles antisocial behaviour by reinforcing good deeds and getting children to take responsibility for their actions.
Youngsters who turn up to school on time, hand in homework as requested, or are good for their mums and dads at home, can grow their own virtual tree by adding special leaves awarded for each task.
Schools in Wearside have reported major changes in the way pupils conduct themselves and are full of praise for the system. Jane Caldwell, headteacher at Havelock Primary School "The children are now much more able to organise themselves and this is particularly noticeable through their attitude and commitment towards homework.
"We start the scheme in reception and the children can go online to access the awards system. They even download their own awards and are given a Golden leaf award once they've collected enough leaves. "The older children who know how to use the programme come into the laptop suite and help the reception pupils with their work too."
The software was designed by SkillsPath, at the Business Innovation Centre in Sunderland Enterprise Park , which launched the product here before rolling it out across the country.
The company aims to help schools meet Government targets providing tool kits to help teachers promote good citizenship skills and raise attainment levels in youngsters.
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TREE was developed with input from headteachers and business leaders, who identified what qualities they thought pupils should have.
Good manners, timekeeping, completing jobs and problem solving were top of the list.
Glen Coulson, operations Director at SkillsPath, said: "Tree was piloted in the North East and is now being rolled out across the country so, as Sunderland company, we are very proud to have pioneered it in the city.
Tree monitor at Havelock Primary School , Connor Ramsey, 11, added: "We are allowed to give people leaves if they are polite and help us put their leaves into the computer. All of us tree monitors got picked by the teacher and I really enjoy it."
SkillsPath have now launched The Leaflettes, a series of booklets which adopt similar principals and concepts to Tree, but are aimed at an even younger audience. Each leaf represents a different attribute and illustrates elements of these through stories, songs and poems.
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