The Code of Conduct module never stores a single running score on a learner. Instead, every screen recalculates a learner's totals from the raw recorded incidents each time it is opened. This article explains how those totals are built, what makes them reset, and how the system decides which learners need an action such as a letter or detention. It is aimed at school administrators and discipline staff who need to understand why a total shows the value it does.

My School > Code of Conduct

How are points recorded and signed?

Each reason (the specific behaviour, such as Smoking or Helped a peer) carries a point value, and the system enforces the sign automatically so staff cannot enter it incorrectly.

• Violations are always stored as a negative number. If someone types 5 for a violation reason, the system flips it to -5.

• Recognitions are always stored as a positive number. If someone types -3 for a recognition reason, the system flips it to +3.

• They are counted separately: a recognition does not cancel a violation, because the two sit under different category types.

What makes a total reset?

Before anything is added up, the system works out a date window to count within, taken from the school's reset interval (set under My School > General > School Setup). Only incidents dated inside that window are counted.

• This month: the first to the last day of the current calendar month.

• This term: the current academic term's start and end dates.

• 6 months: the current half of the academic year.

• Full year: the whole academic year.

• All entries: everything from the admin start date onward. With this setting totals never reset.

When a new window begins (for example a new term), older incidents fall outside the range, so totals appear to reset on their own.

How does the system decide a learner needs an action?

Each action measures one of two things and triggers when its threshold is reached within the date window.

• Minimum of points: the action sums the point values. A violations action triggers when the total is at or below the threshold (for example -12 reaches a -10 threshold).

• Minimum number of violations or recognitions: the action counts incidents and ignores their point values. It triggers when the count reaches the threshold (for example 4 incidents reaches a threshold of 3).

Because different actions measure different things, two actions watching the same behaviour can show different numbers. Each action's total is worked out on its own.

How do credits and recurring letters change the total?

Totals also account for what has already been processed, using the record of past batches.

• Credits: when a learner is marked as having completed an action (for example attending detention) and the attached letter allows credits, the configured credit points are added back in the learner's favour.

• Recurring offset: a recurring letter that does not award credits adds the threshold amount back each time it fires, so the learner must build up a fresh threshold before it fires again.

• Once-off lock-out: a once-off letter fires only once within the reset interval. Once a learner has been processed, they will not qualify for that action again until the window resets.

Why is there no single net total for a learner?

A learner does not have one headline number. Violations and recognitions are never netted against each other, and each action keeps its own total because actions measure different things (some sum points, others count incidents) and each folds in its own processing history. The base and per-category totals can be reported for information, but only the per-action totals drive what the module actually does.

Things worth knowing

• Points management is the one exception: an increase or decrease made through a points-management action changes the category total that every other action reads. No other action changes another action's total.

• Access affects what staff see: visibility is governed per discipline category and, for some staff, limited to their own classes. Learners or entries outside a user's access will appear to be missing.

Frequently asked questions

Why didn't a learner's recognition cancel out their violation?

Violations and recognitions are counted under separate category types and are never balanced against each other automatically. The only ways to move violation points in the positive direction are a points-management adjustment or credits from completing an action.

Why does the learner's total look wrong?

There is no saved total; every screen recalculates from the raw incidents. If a total looks wrong, check the reset interval and date window, any points-management adjustments, and credits or recurring offsets from past processing.

Why didn't the totals reset at the start of the term?

Check the school's reset interval under My School > General > School Setup. If it is set to All entries, totals never reset and count everything from the admin start date.

Why has a learner stopped appearing for a letter?

This usually means it is a once-off action they have already been processed for, a letter still awaiting Action Control, or their total was adjusted by a points-management action.

Why aren't credits being awarded?

Credits only apply when the attached letter is configured to allow credits and the learner is marked as Attended in Action Control.

Why did one action's total change when we processed a different action?

This is expected only when the other action was a points-management action on the same category. Every other action's total is calculated on its own.