To feel offended by this email from the school?

[PupilpremiumWTF]

I think I'll just post the email without any elaboration for now, and see what people think, this is copied and pasted directly, with identifying info changed:

Dear Mrs X,

It’s great to be able to invite you to a special evening for parents of our Pupil Premium students in Years 7, 8 and 9 on Thursday 20th November 2025.

We’ll be starting with a light buffet tea from 5:00 pm, giving you the chance to chat informally with staff and other parents before the evenings presentations begin.

At 5:30 pm, I’ll give a short overview of how we use Pupil Premium funding here at school to support students’ learning and wellbeing, and to help every child make the best possible progress.

From 6.00 pm to 7:00 pm, we will to be joined by Elevate Education, who will deliver a practical, engaging seminar designed to help parents support learning at home.

Topics covered will include:

- Time Management – helping your child to plan effectively and avoid last-minute stress.

• - Study Support – understanding what effective study looks like and how to make it stick.
• - Motivation – discovering what really drives student motivation and how to nurture it.
• - Parent E-book Access – every parent attending will receive a free e-book full of strategies and guidance.

This is a brilliant opportunity to pick up some useful ideas and find out more about how we’re supporting your child’s progress in school.

I really hope you’ll be able to join us for what promises to be an enjoyable and informative evening.

Please let us know if you can attend by completing the form on EduLink.

Kind regards,

Mr Y
Senior Assistant Headteacher

I understand where you’re coming from but honestly I wouldn’t be offended, it’s probably just a box ticking thing they need to do for Ofsted. It sounds quite condescending to me, are they insinuating that parents of pupil premium children need help and support more than others? I imagine it could definitely be viewed as that. I think it’s a good thing for school to do but perhaps they could have opened it up to all pupil’s parents, I don’t many people would turn up anyway!

Genuinely curious as to why you’re offended.

Why are you offended? Go if you're interested. Don't if you're not.

Well, it would be weird for non PP parents to attend something on how PP is spent. And some no doubt would start moaning that it's not fair their child doesn't get 'PP privileges' etc etc.

I think it's lovely school are doing this, being transparent, engaging the relevant parents, both hopefully wanting to do their best for the children involved.

Please don’t worry. There are various criteria for being pp, and certainly at my kids’ school there’s no stigma amongst the kids. In fact often non pp are envious of pp because they get extra support and things like - can knock on their support team’s door and get biscuits. (Tiny part of the work that they do, but it’s what the kids focus on 😁).

if you really don’t want to be seen as being pp, you could probably ask school just to send you a handout. But I’d say be brave and go and see what it’s like.

I’d be going for the free food alone! Any tips would be welcome too.

You are allowed to be offended by anything.
That's your right ..and it's also your problem.

I think it sounds interesting and I would be happy to go to see if there was anything interesting I could take from it.

As a teacher, I think it's a well meaning attempt to engage and support parents, probably because they've received funding or a free offer to run it from the company giving the presentation.

However, I can see from a parental perspective, the fact that this event, which is focused on giving advice about supporting your child's learning at home, is only for parents whose children are in receipt of pupil premium does send the message that pupil premium parents need this kind of help while the rest of the parent body don't.

I appreciate why you have been offended by it. It does feel a bit discriminatory and I would actually encourage you to give the school that feedback.

Yes, I am party upset about the identifying part, I'd prefer to go to a talk everyone was invited to. I do know I can chose not to go though, and I won't be.

Secondly, I'm offended that they seem to think I need help with time management and knowing what effective study looks like. This would be fine if offered to all parents, but why do they think PP families need it and they don't need to invite others?
Do they assume I can't ever have studied and can't time manage?

I also don't need their buffet tea 😄

Completely standard, I went to a couple of these when mine started GCSEs.

Where has the art of "that's not for me" gone?
"Oh look an email to support parents who need that help. I feel totally confident and my kids are thriving, so I don't feel I need it but thanks anyway"
Now replaced with offence taken. Next time school won't do it, so.kids who do need the help and support won't get it, but hey, at least no one was offended.

However, I can see from a parental perspective, the fact that this event, which is focused on giving advice about supporting your child's learning at home, is only for parents whose children are in receipt of pupil premium does send the message that pupil premium parents need this kind of help while the rest of the parent body don't.

Exactly, thank you

The school are spending some of the PP money on study skills and talking to parents about this so too can support your child. You are getting a boost.

This is in no way an insult but trying to provide some extra support. To a group that statistically under perform at secondary education. Why are you offended by this?

This. They’re trying to provide support for parents who are generally more likely to need it. It may not be something you need, but it isn’t a judgement.

If they offered it to everyone, instead of singling out PP families, everyone would still get the help.
In fact, more people probably would.

I'll add to my post. I've often seen this picture, but not with the fourth image. Liberation isn't possible - the exams are the fence in the picture and that's the way we measure progress in the UK.

So what are we left with? If you give everyone a crate to stand on, there is still a disparity between them. By giving just the PP parents the hints and tips, you're raising their opportunities. Most PP kids don't have parents who can afford tutors. The kids with tutors benefit from all this knowledge through their tutor. The school is just trying to give the PP kids a similar opportunity.

But it's not for everyone. The funding is for pp students only. Which by the way, includes a wide range of experience and background.

Maybe the seminar is being financed by the PP programme and therefore they cannot - due to funding restrictions - offer it to everyone?

I’m not sure the text has been presented in the best manner, but I think it’s a good thing that the school is explaining how they use Pupil Premium to support the pupils in receipt of it. It’s often the case that schools are criticised by parents and others for how it’s spent, so this seems to show transparency.

OP, you probably know how best to support your child(ren) but there are some parents who benefit from learning about ways to help their child make the best progress they can.

Whether those that would benefit from it will attend, is, of course, a different question.

It sounds patronising.

Id be asking why it was only PP parents who were invited

No, what would happen is the exact opposite of this

Because statistically children who attract pupils premium fare less well at school. If you don’t need it you don’t need to go, but they’re not wrong in offering additional support to parents. Looked after and care experienced children also pupil premium, it’s not just about income level - it’s about children who are more likely to need additional support.

Why are people offended by everything nowadays??
If you don’t feel it’s relevant to you, don’t go.
It really is that simple.

I'd be like you OP, I find it incredibly patronising.