To be offended by the insinuations nursery were making.

[OliviaJ]

Basically my ds age 4 attends a nursery attached to a school although come September he'll e starting reception at a completely different school. Yesterday my ds's one to one practically throws a form in my hand telling me i must fill it in and return it ASAP. I asked her what it was regarding (didn't have the chance to look as ds was throwing a huge tantrum) and she said oh it's just to do with some funding the school can claim for some children.

So I get home and have a look at it and it's regarding this supsedly new early years premium that the government are allowing schools to claim. It asked for the usual, ie name address, but then went on to ask for mine and dh's national insurance number and then if our income was below £16000 and if so, did we claim JSA/IS/ESA etc etc.

Well to be fair I was a bit taken a back as to how intrusive it was and why Infact school wanted to kneel this information especially since in a few short weeks my ds will no longer be there. The form then goes on to mention that it is a proven that chidlren who are eligible for free school meals tend to be significantly behind educationally and my claiming this finding the school intends to close the gap between more affluent children.

Well for starters my children do not get free school meals, not have they ever done and me and dh do not get those types of benefits. I mean we get CB and CTC of £107 per month but that's about it. At first I was fuming actually that nursey dared to assume that we were firstly eligible for these benefits when they know us as a family (eldest two chidlren attended the school previously) and they know that dh works and secondly I'm annoyed at the insinuation that even if we did lain these benefits that my son would automatically be behind academically when in our family at least that would not happen as me and dh are very hands on with all of our children's educations. So today I asked the TA why she had given me this form when me and my dh don't claim benefits and our kfks are my on FSM and she became all awkward and just kind of shrugged it off! So AIBU to be a bit annoyed?

[Pipbin]

Mary Mary
It is a new thing
It is the early years pupil premium
Not the pupil premium
It has only just been introduced for this term's funding

Exactly this.
Also, the form doesn't say that children who are on FSM tend to be behind educational, the letter that goes with it may do.
I had a look at the letter and form that my school sent out and there was no mention of FSM children being behind. The letters were county issue so this may be the wording of the OPs county.

[Marynary]

I would also be irritated at being expected to fill in the form regardless of income as if people haven't got anything better to do than waste time filling in forms.

[CultureSucksDownWords]

Oh well, then you don't have to fill the form in. Just tell the nursery that you don't qualify and leave it at that. It's not a huge ask, is it?

[Marynary]

Whether it is on the form or the letter accompanying the form is irrelevant.

I presume that this is the letter

www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-pupil-premium-model-document-and-letter-for-parents


It states that "National data and research tells that children eligible for free school meals tend to do less well" This does imply that those eligible for FSM are probably behind educationally. What on earth is the point of making this statement? Totally counterproductive.

[insancerre]

Sorry Mary but it is not for school
It is early years pupil premium and it is for this term
Not next term and is is not the pupil premium that schools claim
It is worth 57 p per hour for eaxh eligible child
The child needs to be already claiming the 15 hours education grant to be able to attract this extra money

[Marynary]

Oh well, then you don't have to fill the form in. Just tell the nursery that you don't qualify and leave it at that. It's not a huge ask, is it?

The letter states "we ask that ALL PARENTS/GUARDIANS fill in the attached form. This will allow us to claim the additional Early Years Pupil Premium."

i.e. parents are too stupid to work out for themselves whether the form is worth filling in and must fill it in anyway.

[Marynary]

insancerre OP was given the wrong information then wasn't she?

[CultureSucksDownWords]

Perhaps you're right Marynary, and the nursery school is maliciously or idiotically trying to offend parents and waste their time.

(Or, they are hoping to claim money that they can use to benefit the children that may need it the most? Which of these options is more likely?!)

[Marynary]

Perhaps you're right Marynary, and the nursery school is maliciously or idiotically trying to offend parents and waste their time.

I didn't suggest that the nurseries are intentionally or malicously doing anything.

[CultureSucksDownWords]

Then what are you saying? As it seems like you are. The wording offends, asking all parents to fill it out is patronising, the way it was handed out was offensive etc etc.

There will be many similar bits of paperwork during the whole school career of a child. It really isn't meant to upset or offend, nurseries/schools aren't perfect and don't get it right all the time. I'm sure most good settings will appreciate constructive feedback. Getting so wound up about something minor is really not worth it.

[Marynary]

Then what are you saying? As it seems like you are. The wording offends, asking all parents to fill it out is patronising, the way it was handed out was offensive etc etc.

I am saying that if the letter offends those who may be eligible it is counterproductive as it will make people feel less inclined to fill in the form.
It is also patronising to suggest that people can't work out for themselves whether there is a chance they might be eligible so everyone needs to fill it in.


There will be many similar bits of paperwork during the whole school career of a child. It really isn't meant to upset or offend, nurseries/schools aren't perfect and don't get it right all the time. I'm sure most good settings will appreciate constructive feedback. Getting so wound up about something minor is really not worth it.

What makes you think I am wound up? My children are at secondary school so I don't need a lesson on what will happen during their school career. By the way, the schools my children go to (and probably all other schools) don't ask people to fill in the pupil premium forms regardless of income.

[Pipbin]

So Mary, how does your garden grown?
Are you being contrary just because you can?
Even the OP can't be bothered to argue this anymore.

[Marynary]

Pipbin- Isn't the whole point of this forum to debate? Nobody is forcing you to post.

[ShadowFire]

Can't remember the exact wording now, but the Letter we got with this form listed the eligibility criteria.

So we could see that we didn't qualify from the covering letter we got with the form, and therefore didn't fill it in.