Big Brother-style pod is a hit in Rotherham schools

Under the scheme, children are sent to the "praise pod" where they talk about their achievements in the classroom.

Their comments are recorded on a computer and the interview can be transferred to a CD to be handed to the child's parents, or played back in school assemblies.

Richard Crook, child mental health specialist for support, therapy, education and prevention at Rotherham Primary Care Trust, said: "We have seen improved behaviour in class and we did an evaluation with the parents and they had seen changes in behaviour at home. They had seen their children being more caring and more considerate."

The interviews in the pod are carried out by volunteers from parent groups or by children from local secondary schools.

The project, which started in February, is so successful it is now being extended to a cluster of six primary schools in the town.