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

You already have those skills? That's great. But not every parent does. I worked at a Title One (US) school for over twenty years. Over 95% of our students were from low socio-economic homes. Parents who are trying to keep the lights and heat on or their families fed may not have sufficient time or energy to do some of the things you feel you already know how to do. It's great that your child's school wants to help parents to gain skills to make students' and parents' lives easier. We often had Doughnuts for Dads, Muffins for Mom, or family nights with free McDonald's to attract more parents and to make school a place they felt welcomed and comfortable enough to take classes or get the help they needed to give their children the best chance of successful learning.

Any offense you've taken is from your own misconceptions. You were invited for the same reason as all of the other parents- to offer you and your child help and encouragement. If you don't feel this would benefit you, that's your prerogative. Don't let yourself be offended by titles and student grouping. Be glad your child's school staff care about and actively reach out to families.

So you get an invite and you go (or not). Everybody else who attends falls into that category.

How is that broadcasting your status to other parents?

No-one would know I went to a session for parents of kids with an EHCP unless I told them?

@Pouritonme but the parents being invited are families that have specific funding allocated to the school. It is what is called ringfenced funding, to be spent on the pupils of those specific families. Schools have to provide reports on what they are spending the money on and the impact it has on those pupils. It is not general funding for the whole school.

If a school received a grant from an organisation to help black families help their children for interviews then that is what the school would have to spend it on.

Why not? Has level of education been controlled for here?

No, because PP doesn't control for level of education of the parents. So the school doesn't have the info.

Someone upthread mentioned a PP visit to a university. Now when it comes to that, universities do differentiate "widening participation" offers based on if parents have a degree or not, so schools do collect that info for the UCAS process.

You've missed the point. Or more specifically, followed a single train of thought so far that you can't see reason. IF there happened to be a very specific organisation that only did interview prep for black children then yes. But PP funding isn't like that. But here there is no HAVE to in what they've decided to spend it on. They must spend it on PP pupils, yes - but they can choose to do something else other than patronise all their parents. This is very much a choice from the school, and they're using a performative sledgehammer to tick a box.

Schools actually do receive such grants.

I think there are 2 separate issues.

The use of statistics to identify a group that needs additional support.

The way the wording or interactions take place when PP funded activities take place.

I don't think offering additional services to a group that statistically needs extra support is a problem, I think it should happen. It needs to be implemented in a way that acknowledges individual differences. I didn't see anything inherently judgemental in the letter the OP posted originally. But I will reread it.

My impression is that the OP objects to being included in a group that - on average - could be helped by information about improving study skills. Not that anyone has said that they, specifically, need help in that area.

So why would level of education be relevant to parents of black children? Curious because you brought it up but now are arguing against yourself

Pupil premium: overview - GOV.UK https://share.google/GFvrMzvGxqfXKtY7d here's the actual guidance, from the horse's mouth.

I am so out of touch.
I thought Burberry was flash.
Wasn't Kate Moss the face of Burberry?
I don't know if I'm too poor or too old. Or both!

This.

They're trying.

If you dont want to go, dont.

Some might benefit.

YABU

If they invite everyone it’s the engaged parents that go. They are not the ones they are trying to help! Sure start was full of educated middle class mums the mums from the estate it was aimed at were suspicious.

The issue is you have stepped outside the average by being intelligent and educated but low income. The other parents like you are not in the PP cohort. Sorry if that offends but it’s true.

I thought it was obvious but maybe not.

PP is intended to address socioeconomic disadvantage. Someone educated and/or well off (whateve their ethnicity) is likely to have many fewer barriers in their way in terms of their children's education/outcomes.

I bet lots of posters on this thread would be horrified at the thought of special treatment for high achievers being open to all! 🤣

Apologies - did you read it? How does it support your argument in any way?

Indeed, it seems to just undermine it

When I worked in the City in offices full of the most intelligent and wealthiest parents in England any lunchtime session by an expert offering any parenting info were packed. Standing room only.

My dc get pupil premium. I wouldn't be offended if i got that e mail but i understand some people would find it offensive. Dh and I both have degrees. Dc1 got 7's, 8's and 9's at gcse, AAA* at a levels and is now thriving at university. Educationally all my dc are doing well but we do struggle financially so free school meals, discounts on school trips etc are much appreciated.

I do find there is often a blanket policy with these things to try and make sure everyone who needs it gets it. It's like the blue light discount. I know someone who earns £100k plus in the civil service and they get a blue light card. They don't need it. But for some people it's a lifeline.

Then when they receive a grant solely to educate PP parents on parenting basics then come back to me. PP funding is not as restrictive as that - and indeed can include non PP pupils also

I would welcome a programme that supported young people from groups statistically shown to be disadvantaged in interviews to get training in interview skills. That would presumably include young people from ethnic minorities, as well as (?) people with regional accents, girls... I don't know the research. But whoever is shown, as a group, to be disadvantaged. Even though there may easily be a young black ex-Etonian who qualifies.

I think we all know that poverty is the main driver of just about every social ill. Poverty is also isolating.

But drawing attention to it like this is only going to further alienate people!

This makes me think of the year I worked in a primary school as a midday supervisor dinner lady. I think it was 2007. The deputy head came up to me and asked me if I'd like to take advantage of their new scheme for unskilled workers where I could do Functional Skills maths and English and "might even help me work towards a GCSE or two..."
I told him I already had 11 GCSEs and 4 A levels so it might not be fair to use those resources on me. I was 19 at the time.
He was stumped.
I wasn't offended though, he could have expressed himself better but I thought it was a good thing that the support was on offer and that everyone was aware of it.

@PupilpremiumWTF are you this sensitive about everything in your life? Honestly, it makes my blood boil. The school is making an effort to ensure that pupils who are by definition at some form of disadvantage get the best support they can at home and at school.
Whether you like it or not your child is disadvantaged. If you don't need what the school is offering don't go, but don't get arsey about the opportunity. Be grateful that the school cares. 😡

Don’t get it. Are you one of the terminally offended?

When I had twins, a wise twin mum said to me "never turn down an offer of help." But yeah, stupid school offering some help, which, even if you don't need it, some other people might, what a bunch of arseholes!!!