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

There is a lot of stigma. My children’s primary school was very discrete but secondary school are very upfront. One of my children has always been incorrectly recorded as pupil premium. He hates being marked out. I have asked school to change it but they don’t. I guess because they get funding.
Hopefully the meeting helps some parents OP, but I understand why you feel patronised/belittled. It’s never helpful to lump people/needs together. There is a risk on this thread of people using stats in a crude way to perpetuate a stereotype - which is certainly not helpful to the children.

Go pester someone else. Not interested.

The problem with your approach is that means spending Pupil Premium funds on non-PP children and families. Is that even allowed? Unless the school is almost entirely PP children it means you are diluting the impact on any intervention, as a limited amount of funds is being spent on a larger group.
Any stigma here has been internalised by the OP, and the only person who can change that is her.

Is this secondary or primary? Either way, I think their offer of advice and support is great, I am unsure why youd be offended. What a great school!
Let's not forget the school staff giving up their personal time for this meeting.

I'm sorry, it seems quite a few of us are in some bewilderment's to why you're upset by this letter? Do you not feel able to mention more directly what exactly it is which is offensive?

@Yerdug it’s Secondary. It’s to help parents help their DC get into good study habits.

It's such a shame that people have said about a stigma of getting FSM/PP. I asked my ds who is in year 10 if anyone is mean to him for having FSM and he looked surprised. He said people at his school don't do that, although people get made fun of for lots of other reasons. Almost all of his friends get FSM though so that might make a difference.

I read it as understanding there is clear evidence that children in various cohorts that attract PP and PP+ fare less well in school. Children in care, or who have been in the care system have markedly lower educational outcomes. They attract almost twice as much funding per pupil as those eligible for free school meals, yet this seems to be ignored by many contributors to the thread who relate PP only to low income, when it’s patently not the case.

I can 100% guarantee you are not a school governor if these are your thoughts….

If you think the cost of a teaching assistant - or even ASC would be the equivalent of the £10 or 20 they have spent per pupil on this - then you are part of the uneducated problem

I'm sure they could find creative ways to get around any PP funding issues in relation to this course so that they can offer it out to other parents.

Haha wtf. I genuinely was interested as to what you think they’re ‘celebrating’ and appreciated the poster asking. But….what?

And you wonder why some people are targeted for help?

Sounds brilliant! Wish my school did that.

But, it’s not needed and would likely be a waste of school money. Schools get money per PP pupil to spend on helping them get the same attainment as those that aren’t on it. Because at the moment, on average, their school results are much lower.

Why would you waste money, that schools don’t have, offering an after school class to children of solicitors and journalists and doctors to help them time manage?

Makes me think of my local council who did an ‘applying for secondary’ evening recently. The people that turned up were middle class professionals who didn’t need to be there as they’d already read all the info. The people who needed to be there, didn’t bother. Things that are tailored - and offer a free dinner - may well entice these people in.

They may only be able to fund the support for the parents of children receiving PP.

I used to run such programs and the children whose parents took part improved their progression. Some may not have needed it as much as others but everyone gained from it. Surely we can all add extra skills? It’s not about whether you know how to time manage (for example) but tips on how to encourage your children.

But if you don’t want to go - don’t. 🤷‍♀️

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.
I completely agree.
I think this is a case you cant do right for doing wrong. Try to be supportive and someone will throw it back in your face.

Also, I suspect the school is trying to be supportive and get in top of issues they've had in the past.

Its not a direct attack on you OP.

Are you ashamed that your child is PP?
In my expierence it is open discussed between parents anyway.

But the content isn't tailored, it's actually pretty generic. So it's using PP funding and publicly identifying families to give them access to study skills advice that doesn't actually address why PP students underperform. Better than nothing? Maybe marginally. But is it the best use of that money? I'm not convinced. And how will the outcomes of a off event one be evidenced anyway?

@Thekidsarefightingagain but they are providing guidance and resources for parents to help their DC with studying. Bearing in mind many parents with secondary school age kids won’t have had to cope with the amount of social media/phone usage kids have now when they were studying, so just negotiating that can be an unknown minefield.

Yes it is publicly identifying them when they are in the room, but I hardly knew any parents when DS was at secondary school, apart from those of his friends from primary school. And if all the parents in the room are eligible for PP not sure how much stigma there would be.

Most staff involved with teaching and pastoral support in the school will know who the PP students are as it will be on their records that those staff can access.

Just go for heaven's sake and see if they're telling you anything that can help your child. If not, well you've had some snacks. There's no reason to be offended! TBH that's a bit pathetic and putting your feelings above the needs of your child!

Absolutely and the OP unfortunately is playing to the stereotype of parent who knows better than the educators trying to help. Refusing to attend is so mature and fabulous role modelling and engagement 🙄

I’m just offended by the typos and SPAG errors, my daughters’ school is the same and it really grinds my gears 😂

The idea is to improve the outcomes of a group who under perform not the majority who don’t. This course is going to cost money. Schools can barely afford to function as it is . Spending money on promoting those that are already over performing in relation to the group the course is aimed at is not a good use of money. Jumping in and hijacking money others aren’t eligible for causing resources aimed at PP children to be spread more thinly is not an option either.

I went on everything offered to me, including parenting workshops.

Why not? I picked up some really helpful tips.
My child qualified for pp, and I love to learn.

Teachers have to do these courses too!!

What are you even on about. Appreciated the poster asking what? What does "but what mean?"

In my experience, all parents ARE given strategies to help with study. We certainly were. We only got offered tea and coffee though.

It sounds like the school are just tagging it onto the pp evening so these parents don’t have to go twice.