Should You Pay Kids To Get Good Grades?

“I’ll give you £30 if you get a 9 in your English GCSE.”

“If you get an A* in your Maths A-Level, you’ve got £50 coming your way.”

While it can be unbelievably tempting to offer kids money to incentivise them to achieve high grades, experts warn it’s not always the best strategy for getting them to put in the work.

In therapist Jenny Warwick’s experience, issues around school performance are often linked to confidence, stress, fear of failure, perfectionism or family dynamics.

“Incentives are rarely the problem. Most teens are already very much aware of the importance of exams, and so financial rewards won’t always increase engagement in a meaningful or lasting way,” says the accredited BACP member, who works with children and young people.

Natasha Nyeke, a BACP member, therapist and coach, is cautious of paying kids for good grades “because it can unintentionally reinforce the idea that their worth is linked to achievement”.

“For some children, this can increase pressure, anxiety and perfectionism, especially if they are already prone to being hard on themselves,” she claims.

We know exams are already a major source of stress for kids. Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, Childline delivered 1,679 counselling sessions where exam or revision stress was mentioned. In a 2025 survey of teenagers, more than two-thirds (69%) reported feeling anxious at least some of the time, with pressure around exams and grades being the biggest worry.

Dr Sasha Hall, senior educational and child psychologist, also notes that for kids with learning needs, anxiety, attention difficulties or low confidence, it can be “demoralising” if rewards are tied only to achievement rather than effort.

“Some children may also become more anxious about failure or avoid challenges where success feels uncertain,” she suggests.

For those who are seemingly motivated by money, and do well in their exams, there’s also a risk in the long run that they start working only for a reward, rather than developing key skills like perseverance or self-discipline (which are pretty crucial once you leave school and enter the world of work).

Money is an example of an extrinsic reward, where the motivation comes from something external, tangible and immediate. Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is the internal reward system, such as feeling pride, enjoying learning, developing confidence or recognising your own progress.

“Extrinsic rewards can work in the short term,” explains Dr Hall. “They can increase motivation temporarily and help some children engage with tasks they have been avoiding. There is a place for that, particularly if a child is stuck in a negative cycle around school or confidence.

“However, the risk is that children begin working only for the reward, rather than developing the longer term qualities we are really hoping to nurture, such as resilience, perseverance, self discipline and pride in their own achievements.”

Rather than paying for grades, your best bet might be to focus on helping kids to build their intrinsic motivation instead.

Nyeke suggests a “healthier” approach than financial incentives would be to reward effort, consistency and resilience, rather than the final grade: “For example, acknowledging a child for sticking to a revision routine, asking for help, or trying again after finding something difficult.”

Warwick agrees that a better approach is to recognise progress and effort over results. She also advises parents to offer the space for kids to organise and build positive study habits and encourage a healthy balance.

“Children benefit from hearing specific praise about the process. For example, noticing that they kept going when something was difficult, that they were organised with revision or that they showed determination after making mistakes. These are the qualities that underpin long term success both academically and emotionally,” says Dr Hall.

“It is also important that children feel emotionally safe around learning. Children are far more likely to engage when they feel capable, supported and understood, rather than pressured or constantly evaluated.”

If you’ve used – or do still use – extrinsic rewards, like money, please don’t feel guilt over it (we have enough of that to contend with on a daily basis!).

“Sometimes families are navigating stress, burnout or ongoing battles around schoolwork and they need something practical in the short term,” says Dr Hall.

“The key is recognising that these rewards work best as temporary scaffolding, not as the foundation of motivation itself.

“Ultimately, most parents are not just trying to raise children who achieve good grades. They are trying to raise young people who can work hard, cope with setbacks, feel proud of themselves and develop a healthy relationship with learning.”