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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

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

73 replies

Niccelia · 17/09/2017 16:19

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?

OP posts:

CorbynsBumFlannel · 17/09/2017 16:48

Sometimes there are kids who qualify for pp who aren't living in poverty or less than ideal home circumstances that the money is designed to alleviate. Schools get more value for money if they pool the money for services that a lot of the pp children may benefit from. Each child doesn't get their money spent on things just for them as some will have a greater need. I'd be glad if your child doesn't need counselling, subsidised trips etc. Are there needs that your child has that you don't feel are being accommodated or are you just annoyed that your child isn't getting their 'fair share' of the pp spending?

Mummyoflittledragon · 17/09/2017 16:50

Sounds disgusting. Ignore vegetarians comments . I agree with putting it in writing to the head first. Then the governors if you have no joy.

At dds school everyone is guaranteed a place if they apply by x date for clubs. For bike ability, names are taken out of a hat. But for pp kids, seeing as the money at your ds's school, the children should automatically qualify. I'd be steaming.

FiveGoMadInDorset · 17/09/2017 16:50

You shouldn't be paying in full for trips and music that is what PP is there for

CorbynsBumFlannel · 17/09/2017 16:50

It would be silly for schools to find reasons to use funds on children who don't actually need it at the expense of those who do.

MaisyPops · 17/09/2017 16:52

You shouldn't be paying in full for trips and music that is what PP is there for
No it's not!

It CAN be used towards those things, but that is not what it is there for.

Pupil premium funding exists because there is typically a progress gap based on social background (and there are LOTS of ways a child can be PP so being PP will look very different between children). The funds are there to help close that gap.
It is up to schools how they use those funds.

Starlight2345 · 17/09/2017 16:54

My Ds is on PP..We have a meeting at the begining of the term and the end to discuss what it needs to be spent on and what it has..As parents are asked to evaluate how we feel our child has benefited..Some things the whole class benefit from..Some my Ds

Sara107 · 17/09/2017 16:55

This would really annoy me, I don't often get to do school pick up and I don't see why my child should miss out on opportunities because of that. We don't have the same pressure on numbers, but I did complain about clubs being put on with almost no notice, and point out that until I had changed my working hours and dD's afterschool club hours we couldn't commit to the club, by which time spaces were filled. The school have improved communication and do tend to send out the information in much better time now. So I think it's worth speaking to the head teacher and making all your points. Speak to school governors also.

AdalindSchade · 17/09/2017 16:55

Pupil premium isn't meant to be spent on the specific children who attract it. When ds got it he got a couple of pieces of free uniform but the rest was just pooled for the School's use.
The idea being that IF my ds was disadvantaged he would benefit from the extra things paid for by PP. However as my ds isn't disadvantaged he doesn't need to make use of the extra things that benefit less privileged children.

ADishBestEatenCold · 17/09/2017 16:57

Could you request that any class letters are emailed to you by (say) lunchtime on the day of distribution, as that is the only way you will be able to see them that same school day.

d270r0 · 17/09/2017 16:57

Definitely speak to the head. If bikeability is paid for with pp money his place should be a priority.

Maelstrop · 17/09/2017 16:58

The deputy gets pp funding to have time off to marking?! Wtaf?! I mean, we're meant to mark pp kids' books first in the pile, but seriously?!

Given what your website says, I would definitely write and complain to the head. Why is pp funding being spent on SEND kids? Are they also pp?

For trips, you can definitely request funding. We also offer 50% but I don't think it's well known, although was a clear and well known process in my previous school.

BikeRunSki · 17/09/2017 17:00

Primary schools drive me mad with communication with working parents l. It's like we are somewhat lesser parents.

I wonder if the OP is a parent at my DC's school, as we have also just changed from booking after school activity clubs on paper to on line. On paper, letters were sent home mid week, responses wanted for the end of the week, and places allocated the following Monday. Now, as the OP says, it's first come, first served from the moment the clubs become available online (we use ParentPay).

It could be that the Head is unaware of these issues, I would certainly make an appointment with them to discuss. e.g.: Our school moved to Parent Pay, because lots of WOHP were complaining that cheques/cash/club bookings forms were getting lost as they did not have a chance to hand them in to the school office themselves. Doing it online resolves this, but obviously brings other problems.

Fortunately I am fairly autonomous at work, and can look at school emails etc on my phone before I even see the DC that day. When I went online to pay for DS's school dinners a few days before the start of term, I noticed that after school activities were available to pay for online then. So I knew what they were at least, I didn't book them there and then, but I could have.

The PP issue is quite blantantly unfair and very badly thought through. The school definitely needs calling out on this.

Bugsylugs · 17/09/2017 17:01

Bikeability doesn't cost the school generally as is paid for by the council if their premium money goes towards it they should get a place!

ThePlatypusAlwaysTriumphs · 17/09/2017 17:02

Sorry for ignorance, but what is pupil premium? Is it an English thing (have 3 dc going through school in Scotland and have never heard of it!)

Agree that they should have a fair booking system for the clubs. I'm out school if too many want to go and they can't all be accommodated names go in a hat.

Lurkedforever1 · 17/09/2017 17:03

I know that's how it's used maisy, but I think there is a big difference between eg an extra literacy group that benefits other pp kids but not ops son, and using it for an enrichment activity that the pp kids are then excluded from.

Although I do think some schools need to be reminded that it's to close the gap in outcomes across the whole ability spectrum, for all pp kids, not just the gap at the lower end.

MaisyPops · 17/09/2017 17:03

I would definitely write and complain to the head. Why is pp funding being spent on SEND kids? Are they also pp
It's not for the school to disclose that information.

Wilburissomepig · 17/09/2017 17:04

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

I paid for my DC's after school club so really I could use it for what I wanted. (They went twice a week because they loved it - I couldn't have afforded to send them any more than that).

BizzyFizzy · 17/09/2017 17:05

Make an appointment to speak to the head. Don't email unless neither you have a time where you can talk (most heads will be available well beyond the end of the school day). You really do have a very good point about the time frame for requesting clubs, and the school needs to take your concerns on board and make their after school provisions fair.

It is a bit mad that there is an on line registration system that guarantees a place there and then. It would be much more sensible to collect registers of interest and then allocate once all the requests were in.

HoneyWheeler · 17/09/2017 17:07

As a teacher - definitely put it in writing to the head and business manager! Also: ask for a breakdown of what your child's PP money is spent on!

MollyHuaCha · 17/09/2017 17:08

A polite word with the head sounds appropriate. The school may not be aware of some of the points you raise, so it might be good to go in in a friendly way.

Also, it might be useful for you to work out in advance what ideally and realistically you would like the outcome of your email or meeting to be.

Good luck.

Witchend · 17/09/2017 17:10

I suspect the bikability funding means they will pay for any child who can't afford to pay who gets pp. That's what it means on our local website when it says they pay for school trips.
Bikability is paid for by attendees in our area. I know that because we had to remind them several times that they'd said they would refund us after refusing to takedd2 because of her disability.
Her disability btw is the same as some paracyclists who have seen her ride the adapted bike and been impressed.
She's not the only one I know who bikability has acted similarly.

CorbynsBumFlannel · 17/09/2017 17:10

Pp is extra funding schools get for children who's parents qualify for certain benefits as well as children who are or have been in the care system and forced children. The amount the child attracts varies depended on what category they fall in to.
I agree that it's off that the ops son hasn't got on the bikeability course but that seems to me to be the fault of the booking system rather than the fact that pp money has been used for that in the first place.

CorbynsBumFlannel · 17/09/2017 17:12

Forced = forces children

GU24Mum · 17/09/2017 17:14

I'd leave the PP issue for now........ but it seems more than fair to point out that the new system is really unfair for anyone whose parents can't book in instantly. My DS's school has a booking time but there's a certain number of days and no-one takes precedence during that time. I'm guessing, though, that it's administratively easier for the spaces to be allocated online (bit like a gym class) rather than just have the applications submitted online then for someone to go through them manually. Still doesn't make it fair though.

RicottaPancakes · 17/09/2017 17:16

Yes write a letter to the head and tell them what you said in your post. Also, it's not just about working parents, some people don't have smart phones, might have a long journey home or can't book straight after school for other reasons.

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