There was one aspect of the grammar school regime that was designed to provide positive encouragement in academic work.
Any master who thought a boy was not trying hard enough could award him a “star”.
A star meant your house lost a lot of house points which was a very very bad thing apparently.
Because it was a very very bad thing then one of the prefects from your house would give you a good thrashing with a plimsoll to remind you that it was a very very bad thing.
One term I got two stars at the same time (from the same master who taught us French and Latin and I was going through a phase of hating languages).
Getting two stars cost the house a BIG lot of house points so one of the prefects had to give me a really really special slippering to make sure I learned that getting stars was a really really bad thing.