Pupil premium funding never spent on my child.

[curlykaren]

My son has just gone into year 5 primary. Throughout his primary years he has attracted pupil premium funding to the school as my income as a single parent is low. I've found out that this year the school are holding mandarin language classes for children of mandarin/bilingual households. I am really good friends with one of the Mum's who has a son in these extra language classes. Her financial and family situation is vastly different to mine, her son doesn't attract pupil premium funding to the school. Over the years my son has had 6 Lego therapy sessions, one book and two trips (to free venues-museums). AIBU to be really fucking pissed off that my son doesn't benefit, in any meaningful way, from this funding when meanwhile the school are offering these extra language classes? If your child attracts the pupil premium funding to their school please share with me what the school offer to enhance their education? AIBU in asking the school how they are funding these classes?

That is correct, his funding went on a teaching assistant who spent her time working with small groups of children of which my son was one. However he didn't like her (she was a miserable cow) so refused to participate

Your child opted out, he was offered support and refused. What do you propose, that they let your son audition support staff X factor style?

EmperorTomatoRetchup
I agree.
So many posters have shared so many different experiences of how schools can allocate PP funding to best support the children in their care, taking account of their cohort, that PP is not a homogeneous category, PP tend to suffer from educational disadvantage on a cohort level, not that every child who happens to be PP will need lots of extras etc. There's a really clear line that PP funding has to be accounted for and that it's a requirement to have the information available.

Ultimately it's going to keep coming back to 'I don't like it if another child has a different opportunity even when i think it's a pointless opportunity, i have no desire for my child to have that opportunity and have zero clue how that opportunity was funded'.

@Notsohorriblehistory i assume since PP referred to SEN she might mean the battle that is getting a diagnosis, EHCP and eventually SEN funding. It might be a matter for ticking boxes eventually, but until you get there it's a long,hard road of proving you are allowed to tick the boxes.

Ours is spent on:
Paying for all trips for PP children except residentials of which half the cost is paid.
Pay half of any music lessons or instrumental hire.
Free place at breakfast club.
One free piece of every locked piece of uniform a year.

@OrangeOrBlackcurrant

Ever a LAC.

One of my DDs was adopted before school age, and she qualifies even now at secondary. I am really grateful, as the impact of needing adoption is still with her even now. The interventions she gets in school are of real benefit to her emotionally, socially and academically.

My child's school gave pupil premium kids sats guides one year. Also used to pay for trips for said child but you have to ask. Not automatic.

@RebelRogue

It wasn’t refered to OP

Ah sorry you meant the PP.

It’s clear she’s referring to getting the pupil premium in the first place

I would go in and in a very calm and reasoned way ask how it has been spent and remind them it has to be used for the purposes of your child. Obviously, not in an 'this ta will have helped your child at some point' way but in a specific, recognisable manner.

I am a supply teacher, and a local school employed me using pupil premium money. I was to come in and do maths 'gap filling' tutoring sessions with pupil premium children who had maths difficulties. Each child I took was the core child for each session, but some children work better in pairs or small groups. In those cases others with the same 'gap' joined us. Some of the children worked better alone, in those cases it was just the pupil premium child and myself.

There was some drama as it was seen that some children who weren't pupil premium were receiving tutoring (those added to the sociable sessions). But it wasn't done at the expense of the pupil premium child, in fact it was the opposite!

The school should welcome an open and honest dialogue about what they are doing. If not, they need reminding that it is their duty and OFSTED or the LEA could ask the same questions at any time!

HelloMorning, you are funny! Your comments provided me with a much needed lightening of mood. Tell me, did in take long to drag your opinion over here from so far to the right?

I would go in and in a very calm and reasoned way ask how it has been spent and remind them it has to be used for the purposes of your child. Obviously, not in an 'this ta will have helped your child at some point' way but in a specific, recognisable manner
No they don't.

They have to account for pupil premium spending and outcomes for the cohort.

At our school, the PP is spent mainly on staff - teachers to run extra teaching groups for those who need it, extra training for all staff so that we are all more able to identify issues at an early stage, TA support to run suitable intervention groups. A small amount is spent on subsidising school trips for PP pupils. Some is spent on specific resources. We also run nurture groups, counselling sessions , training for staff was paid for by the PP.
I think it's also worth noting that even though a specific child may not be in a particular intervention group, they are still benefiting since having a TA to run them, means that the class teacher is able to spend more of their tine with the reduced no of children who remain in the class at those times.

Our school pays for TA support mainly. A record is kept to ensure every child who is in receipt of PP works with the TA 1:1 whether that be to support or to stretch them further.

Our school partially funds a TA through pp, and she does 1-2-1 and small group work with pp children who need additional support.

It also funds iintervention teaching in y5/6, educational games that all children can access at home, online tuition, counselling, social skills/friendship circle work, play therapy and additional secondary transition.

Individual pp children may also receive support with trips, clubs and music tuition.

As many have said op, I think you need to ask the school what - if anything - your child has benefitted from, or is likely to benefit from in y5/6.

I think your outrage at the school's additional provision for EAL students is misplaced though.

They don't even have to spend it in the pp kids either.

I totally agree with hellomorning

OP, you are getting free school meals for your child, he's had the lego therapy, the book and trips. You're getting more than most parents get for their child, and yet you want more.....

ScarlettPimpernell123 - are you sure you're referring to pupil premium in England? You really don't have to justify anything to anyone, the school is either entitled to claim in respet of your child or it isn't.

! Yes it did take me a while OP! And glad I gave you a laugh! I'm sorry I'm not normally so right wing! Or so patronising or one to write such a (in some ways perhaps coming across as out of touch, nasty and yes, right wing) post!

But, sometimes I do think that people (haven't read the full thread, so maybe not you!) are quick to claim this and that from the 'government' (i.e. tax payer) without at least some sense of gratitude.

I have benefitted from state support in lots of ways. I have close family members that can't work due to mental health probs, and other family members who have needed financial and other support from the state over the years. I'm not particularly well off myself and know that I am fortunate that I can and do work!

But - I'm aware support such as pupil premium comes form somewhere. It comes from the hard work of those able and fortunate to work. It is nice that in this country we can provide for those that can't work or need extra support. But sometimes those people can get grabby and entitled and forget that the tax payer is paying for them.

In DS school PP is put in a pot and used sensibly to best support the children that most need it. Good and rightly so. However, the school also nurtures others and provides opportunities for others.

M DCs are not eligible for PP. I work crappy long hours and miss my DCs and would rather be at home with them. I'm lucky in some ways to have an income and have a job. But, I don't think this should prevent my DCs having opportunities too. Yes, I want to support ALL children to reach their potential and many of those on PP need extra support which I want to help with. But I don't want the parents of those children to feel entitled (when I'm working my ass off, along with many others, to support said people) and I don't want my own kids to miss out

At our school all the PP children benefit from the money in one way or another.

HelloMorning, thanks for your measured reply, I'm sorry you miss your kids 🌻

We don't have many PP kids in our class. But one was put in an intervention group that she didn't need as proof that the funding was being used.
Tbf she absolutely loved it and her confidence grew and it did benefit her.

Schools do have to show how they are using it but tbh it's extra funding for the school which is never a bad thing- think money for extra resources, staffing etc. Also there is usually an incentive for parents- free uniform or voucher of some sort. So I really wouldn't be so annoyed if I were you

Except we don't get an incentive! No voucher, no uniform, no individual intervention at all.

Op, if your child isn't achieving age related I'm surprised he isn't having any sort of intervention, I think you'd be well within your rights to follow that up. The other stuff, vouchers and uniform and whatnot, there's no compulsion for school to offer those. Do they cover school trips for you?

My DCs' school was recently inspected by Ofsted. The headteacher said the inspector spent a lot of time looking through all the books for any PP children, and quizzing the school what they had done for each PP pupil to help make sure they were making the same progress as the rest of their cohort.

Another local school just got downgraded to Inadequate and the main sticking point was that there was insufficient support for disadvantaged children and they were underachieving compared to their peers.

So as well as accounting for the PP money, schools are expected to show that the money is having an impact.

I'm always sent the letter asking for payment but for the last year I haven't paid. Although all parents have the ability to withhold payment. The year below him just did a residential trip and for PP kids there was a 50% discount but my child hasn't been on a residential yet so I don't know. They don't cover the cost for any clubs run by the school in fact I still have a debt on my account for a sporting club he wasn't able to join in with for 2 months because of injury.