Who knows if a child is on FSM?

[orchidsonabudget]

we have just received UC - I understand I can apply for FSM but I want to know who would know if they are receiveing it?
Kids at small village primary
Also older DC at secondary

@RizzleDrizzle

The kids have no idea what the stickers mean. Even most TAs don't know. It doesn't affect how I teach these children nor how anybody views them. It just means I get more pressure to ensure that this group is making progress

The kids can still see there’s something different about that child to get a sticker! Parents would probably work it out! And tell their child not to have anything to do with the children with stickers on their books!

Use your own confidential seating plans and data to analyse books

Stop identifying children on PP (or SEN) to all and sundry

I think your own prejudice is showing there.

Why would anyone tell people not to have anything to do with children who receive pupil premium?

It's not my system; it's a school system. I'm not going to be kicking up a fuss about changing it. There are so many different stickers that most children have at least one and some children have four! The only people who see the books are staff and my class. Staff need to know. The class don't know and don't care.

@Cherrysoup

We have stickers on books of children in receipt of pupil premium

Bloody hell, I’d be fuming as a teacher or parent. You should know your students well enough not to single them out in this way, it’s shocking. We have seating plans which indicate SEN/PP. This will only ever be seen by observers ie other teachers and the class teacher. Much more discreet.

People really love to dramatise on here.

Parents don't mind. They know what support their child receives due to their pupil premium status. They know no-one is interested in why they have this status.

I do know my pupils well enough. I can name all of my pp children, as well as those who have stickers for other reasons. The stickers are still useful for finding their books easily.

It is discreet. Children know what colour stickers their books have and know that these are to "help the teachers find them easily" but don't know what they mean. Only other people who see them are staff, who need to know.

Not all our PP or FSM children are discussed in pupil progress meetings. There's no need for it if they're on target and progressing as they should. We have a targeted list of children(not all PP or FSM), plus any new concerns that might arise. We have classes with 14/16 PP children. It would be pointless and a waste of time to discuss each and every one just because they're PP.

Since when did slt/ ofsted care about something being a waste of time? PP/ FSM are always tracked in some way.

@Iwantmorechocolate

Not all our PP or FSM children are discussed in pupil progress meetings. There's no need for it if they're on target and progressing as they should. We have a targeted list of children(not all PP or FSM), plus any new concerns that might arise. We have classes with 14/16 PP children. It would be pointless and a waste of time to discuss each and every one just because they're PP.

Since when did slt/ ofsted care about something being a waste of time? PP/ FSM are always tracked in some way.

They are. Just not at pupil progress meetings.

I think the savvy children will know who are FSM or not, not not necessarily that they are FSM IYSWIM. For example, for trips, they are the ones who will get a packed lunch from the school canteen, rather than bringing their own. They will often not have to pay for trips (and will therefore never bring in money for trips, nor be chased up for not paying).

I’ve never know anyone treat them differently because of this.

Ours had different colours on their books. But they also had a colour showing ks1 sat result/if there was any sen/and can't remember the other colour reasoning! I remember asking a TA about it but my daughter didn't have a clue at all so I do think it's fine. At primary they wont be aware of it at all.

At secondary mine is ever6 and they're open with each other who is. Its never been something to be embarrased about like when I was a kid. Some are pp because dad is a marine /adopted etc too.

Please do sign up for it. It may open the doors for reduced end of yr 6trip/music etc (although our junior didn't pass any discounts onto ever 6 pp only fsm pp whoch defeats the point....but the secondary does!)

They are. Just not at pupil progress meetings

I’ve always know them to be tracked, along with other groups of cohorts (including the overlaps) 🤷‍♀️

@reefedsail

Children who receive Pupil Premium are considered as a separate group for school performance accountability measures, so in my school, and many others across the land, all adults will be able to easily identify which they are. It's not uncommon for them to have stickers on their books to make them easily identifiable. I have fought against this in my school.

Well that's discrimination. Will they start putting stickers on the disabled children's books next?

We all knew who was on FSM when I was at school. They would all go and queue at reception to pick up their tickets at lunchtime. This was in the 90's though.

Coriander.... er yep! Ours had a series of colours, so all kids had a few colours. Sen was one of the colours.

I hope you do claim the FSM as it will make a difference to your budget and the school. I completely understand why you might not want your kids identified as 'poor kids' but I'm sure the school would make sure that didn't happen. When I worked in a school it was never obvious.

Incidentally, as a child we were entitled to FSM but my parents didn't claim for them because they didn't want us looked down on ( 1960s and 70s a different world then). I wish they had because we were often hungry ( we ate our paid for school dinner but often didn't have anything much later at home). Being hungry is no fun! That's why I've fully supported the campaign to ensure FSM are continued year round/ during pandemic etc.

I'm a dinner lady - we wouldn't be told.

Mainly because it's none of my business!

They won't be treated differently

think your own prejudice is showing there.

Really do you? Or do you think perhaps having been a child who was both a level 5 statemented and for a short time on FSM, I experienced the horrendous bullying from both. And not only I.

My brother got things like oh yeah your sister is spastic
Your stupid psycho sister,

My much younger sister, had a friend pulled away from her at the school gate with the mother saying very loudly “Jane I’ve told you not to talk to kate you might catch what ever her sister has” (at that point undiagnosed autism and autism fairly high functioning autism)

Why would anyone tell people not to have anything to do with children who receive pupil premium?

Because children and sadly parent bully and pick on any fucking difference, from wearing sodding glasses to the colour of skin why the hell would you want to discrimagrate and give them more reason to bully?!?!

If you think your school is free of bullying you are wrong! In fact I suspect it’s got a major bullying problem as your so keen to emphasis everyone’s grouping

It's not my system; it's a school system. I'm not going to be kicking up a fuss about changing it. There are so many different stickers that most children have at least one and some children have four! The only people who see the books are staff and my class. Staff need to know
Well that says a lot about your school and I wouldn’t want my kids going there but each to their own I guess but
The class don't know and don't care

You’d be surprised, and they do and the fact this thread exists shows that the parents of the kids care!

My kids have had fsm for a few years now, they do not get treated any differently. It's no information shared around. My youngest is in junior so he gets his lunch from the school canteen. My oldest then has a squid account which gets an amount daily credited in it. So none of his classmates know.

Never heard about the stickers on the books

In the tiny sample on this thread we have three schools stickering books (now or in recent past) by group, so I'll extrapolate out from that and reassert that it is very common.

I supervise at lunchtime and we 100% do not know.

We recently discovered my son in year 12 is entitled to a bursary because we had fsm in 2017 for a few months. Things like this REALLY help out. If we didn't claim when needed he wouldnt be able to get the bursary now which helps him loads.

I'm a midday supervisory assistant at a village primary school.
We tick the kids off as they come in for meals and the FSM are in bold, but we never judge, it doesn't mean anything to us. I have a 1yo and I am certain he will be on the FSM list.

Also schools get extra funding for PP pupils which allows for extra interventions (not that it is just for the PP but has to show it's been spent on that).

Absolutely do go for it though. For 6 years after you come off fsm there are random things they might pay towards. (Bizarrely one of mine got to go on some extra trips as that must have been how they decided to spend the money.)

Reduced music lessons in our case too.

Also with actual fsm at the moment I know our council is making a lot of support available over winter. There's access locally to extra food for christmas etc. It really is wirth having the options when on fsm.

We're back on UC with covid stuffing up our work but not low enough for fsm or we would definitely apply.

Please do.

Yeh its 6yrs after you can get little help with things and college/sixth form bursary. Honestly had helped us so much.

I have never , ever seen stickers on FSM or pupil premium books!! I find it very difficult to believe that schools are doing this

Nor have I, and I did supply work for more years than I care to remember.

All 4 schools do it here but its like a bar with different colours on. All children have some colours. I asked my child what it meant at parents evening/book display once and she had no idea. It was only when I specifically asked a TA (who possibly shouldn't have told me) that I found out. I think I worked out what one of the colours were. Honestly I'm an ex teacher and was insanely curious - I'm not fussed what's on my second childs book. It really really wasnt a big deal.