Complain to school? After school club/Pupil premium/Wohm

[Niccelia]

DCs school doesn't run very many after school clubs. As such there is always a scrum for places. Previously this was dealt with by a first come first served system. Everyone got a letter and you couldn't hand it in until 48hrs later. That gave all the parents a fair chance to look at it and get it back to the school.

They've now changed to an online system. It's open from when the letters go out. I tried to book a club when I got home from work at 4.45. All spaces were filled. Basically if you don't physically pick your kids up from school yourself and do it then and there, you aren't getting a place. DS was gutted and so was I tbh as there is no wrap around care at his school and a place at a club means he doesn't need to go to a childminder for 45 mins. Yet the DC whose parents pick them up and presumably don't need childcare are taking the spaces as they can be there and log on instantly to book.

Second issue: bikeability. DS was waving a letter in front of me the second I came through the door and begging me to book him a place. Big surprise, places were all gone. This was 50 mins after school kicked out for the day. They aren't running another course, if you missed out you missed out.

Now not only is DS one of the only kids who bikes to school. He's also one of only two pupil premium kids in his class. I checked the school website and they have a list of all the things they spend pupil premium money on. I think it's an OFSTED requirement and they have to show the money is being spent on targeted PP kids.

Low and behold, Bikeability is paid for with PP money . Yet the two PP kids can't get a space. It was also spent on a SN TA (not for DS), a science programme (not DSs class), councilling (DS has never been), residential trips (we paid in full), music tuition (again paid in full) and non pupil time for the deputy head to do "target marking" for PP kids (presume DS benefits from this)

AIBU to think 1, the online booking is bullshit if you are a working parent and not there to pick your DC up everyday and 2, since the PP kids money paid for the course they should actually be able to go on it?

I'd put all that in a letter to the head.

YANBU.
That is a rubbish system.
And no way should PP money be used for bikeability without the PP kids getting priority.

Primary schools drive me mad with communication with working parents l. It's like we are somewhat lesser parents. I would send a letter to the school requesting a meeting with the head to discuss the issues.

You should make your point about the pupil premium, especially with regard to the cycling.

After school clubs such as the ones the mention aren't childcare.

Flipping heck! Letter to the govs! That's rotten, your poor boy!

After school clubs aren't supposed to be used as free childcare.

The club's thing sucks but it's the pupil premium issue I would be raising as a matter of urgency.

I complained about the first come first served system when DS was at primary and we no longer use it at my school either. Why should those DC who are not collect by parents be disadvantaged?

Bikeability is free to school here (subject to a minimum number) so I'd wonder about that being paid for from PP at all. We offer a 50% discount on all trips to children in receipt of PP funding and a weekly small group music lesson or sports club, depending on their personal interests.

That is really crap, good advice about seeking a meeting with the head, although I guess tricky cos you work!! Good luck with it, it really is very unfair on your son, he is seeing very little benefit from the PP money.

The pp money not being spent on things to benefit the kids is not on and I'd complain. working parents should have the same opportunity as sahp's but it isn't really a question of wohp/ child care.
The clubs aren't childcare and a wohp could have gp's who pick dc up who were able to complete the forms sooner.
I would seriously complain if I was you.

YANBU and I think you should put all this in a letter to the head and then set up a meeting to discuss.

Clearly point 1 is an unfair system that penalises those who can't do school pickup for whatever reason on the particular day.
Your point 2 is ridiculous as if they are using PP money it should be to benefit your DS who is the reason for the PP cash!

"After school clubs aren't supposed to be used as free childcare."

No but the whole point of PP is to give kids access to educational opportunities they might otherwise find it difficult to access or activities that build their self esteem that may impact on educational outcomes.

An online only booking system discriminates against the type of family that may not have full access to technology.

I would voice your concerns about the booking system for clubs but I wouldn't start questioning how pooled pp money is spent. It isn't all going to benefit your son - it is to help all the children in the school that qualify - a lot of whom may benefit from subsidised trips, counselling etc.

Yanbu. Ditto others I would mention it to the head.

Pp money is meant to close the gap, and fair enough when there's no academic gap it's great to use it on other things, but not to provide a club that excludes the pp kids.

I complained, too. Ours no longer do a first-come first-served either now. Also, they email rather than send paper forms so no longer do you a) have to be at pick up at 3:30 and b) shove everybody out of the way to the school office. You fill in an online form and hear a few days later.

I don't rely on clubs as childcare, I have that covered. It's just if I can say to DS "oh you can go to football on Tuesday instead of the childminder" it's nicer for him.

I can't actually see where any of the PP money was spent on DS other than non-teaching time for the deputy head. It must have been though because surely OFSTED would raise it if not?

Yes. The whole world is against you.

It should be first come first served except for 'PP' students who deserve to be first for everything.

Not only should your child get extra benefits from the school but every other child should get fewer! Seems only fair to me.

The 2 pp kids in her ds's class didn't get a place. Every other place may have gone to pp kids in other classes for all we know.
The booking system does seem to favour sahm parents though so I would focus on that. Maybe they could make it so you can only book from 8 o'clock in the evening or something?

Bikeability is offered to schools for free (certainly in some areas) and so should be offered to all who want it. I would ask what's going on and why the numbers are so restricted.

I pushed my son's secondary school on level 3, as I knew my local county offered it for free, so there was no reason for it not be to offered by the school. My local county officer said my son's school had refused it, so I asked why. If it's free, why turn it down? They eventually offered it to the kids in year 9, so he got to do it in October half term.

Vegetarians....I'd roll my eyes but I doubt you'd take much notice. I'm going to guess your one of those parents who resent PP kids getting anything at all over and above "normal" kids.

Bikeability was just DSs class, 15 spaces

Vegetariansaredelicious what a nasty post.

That is a crap system, I agree, and I agree with the PPs who have said to take it up with the head. It's a disadvantage I've seen with the online booking system; only the parents that physically pick their children up from school can access it in time.

I'm not a working mum but this problem comes up with parents' evenings. My DH likes to be involved and I need to speak to him about appointment times so I know he can be available at the times I've booked. By the time I've managed to get hold of him, very often the preferred slots have been booked.

That's just a moan, though, what you're facing is blatantly unjust, and ridiculous, as the activity is supposed to benefit PP children and neither of the PP children can take part.

YANBU - they need to give all parents a fair chance - the 48 hours before opening for booking was a good way of doing it and PP should get priority when the school is claiming that the activities are part of their way of meeting the need.

Yanbu. I would write to the head outlining the issue and copy the governing body. The governors need to know how PP is being spent and that PP children are getting the benefit.

In your letter I would also ask how they are going to ensure all PP children actually benefit from the funding and how they can ensure bookings are fair for the future.

PP funding and spending is as key an issue for OFSTED as attendance and pupil attainment.

I can't actually see where any of the PP money was spent on DS other than non-teaching time for the deputy head. It must have been though because surely OFSTED would raise it if not?
Schools decide how they spend PP funds. That can mean course for staff working with PP Students, it can be preferential groupings (eg. The additional funds at secondary mean we can part cover an extra teacher in core subjects and Pp students get taught in smaller groups, more 1-1), some schools employ a Pp coordinator to track Pp dtudents and monitor progress, it can be used to get in support staff eg attendance/family workers, it can be used to employ TAs who do intervention, it can be used towards trips, it can be used to buy reading books or revision guides, etc.

They also have to justify and quantify impact og PP funds so many schools (certainly at secondary) have to justify the impact of paying for interventions etc. So theatre trip for GCSE drama/English = justifyable use of money vs time doing an enrichment activity may be nice but is it going to close the gap?

There's way too much going on in the background for you to know if you have grounds to complain on PP.

I would agree however that the system for after school clubs is rubbish.