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 feel sorry for your children if these are your opinions.

All kids on FSM get pupil premium

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.

but, statistically they do. If you don’t need help? Great. But why on earth would be offended that someone offered to help and care about your child?

How should schools engage parents of pupils eligible for pupil premium though? If not for writing specifically to them? And offering a bit of hospitality with some possibly helpful input that might make it worth their while?

What the hell are you talking about?

PP pupils don't do as well as their peers, it's a fact.

I can’t see why it’s offensive they’re trying to provide additional support. If your child is a PP child then you’re obviously not doing well in life so they’re trying to help you break that cycle!

This isn't true

Pupil premium is meant to support disadvantaged children, who are about half as likely as a non-disadvantaged child to get a maths GCSE. I'm not quite sure why you think extra help to change that is a bad thing, but sure - be offended that the school wants disadvantaged children to get better results.

So would you rather the system be “we know kids in receipt of pupil premium have lower attendance and achievement scores….but fuck em well not try and address that directly”?

It is likely the event is being funded by Pupil Premium funding though, which will be why it is offered to that cohort

Thank you. I don't know why this isn't obvious to everyone. And if people don't want that input then they don't have to go.

They are doing this as there is a need for it.

Not so offended by ridiculous stereotyping that she didn’t throw on of her own in there.

Im with you on this one op. Cheeky little email. I didn’t know what pupil premium meant I thought at first it was for academically gifted children and it was to help parents understand how much studying their child will need to do etc but to suggest you as parent need to go have a sandwich and be told how to manage your/child’s time etc JUST because of free school lunch is absolutely insane. Surely if they are trying to figure out the children’s who’s home life may be strained for whatever reason then surely make sense for this to apply to the whole year group.

if I were you op I’d reply with a AI generated picture of you smoking a fag, wearing a juicy tracksuit, downing a can of Stella, while sitting on a sofa in the front garden with an aggressive looking pit bull
oh and don’t forget to show off your face tattoo, your gold hoops and belly piercing

Well it could be seen as patronising, or it could be seen as what it is, a chance for the school to offer practical support in a time and cost efficient manner to the families of children who they, and the rest of us, know are statistically not meeting their full potential, often because they are not getting support from parents.

It's not because of free school meals

What are you so offended by @BeLilacSloth?

Kids on FSM and/or PP do not attain as good grades as kids who are not on PP or FSM. That is a fact. They are disadvantaged.

The numbers are public, for anyone to see.

I think you misunderstood the original point pp was making. They weren’t saying that pupil premium children is a label for a group who have lowe grades etc. They were saying that children with pupil premium - which as you say is about home environment, income, care etc - statistically perform worse ie get worse grades.

Agree - inappropriate and worth raising to governors- it’s outdated to run a separate session for PP parents.

Though imo the offers of snacks are probably standard - schools often use these to tempt parents / make it more pleasant.

Yes they do

I would be offended. The inference is, not only are you poor but you are a poor parent because you are financially poor.

I do think the tone is a little patronising.

There are hints of stereotyping too - why wouldn't every parent need advice on how to best support their kids from home?

I would be delighted with the email

It's literally the opposite of outdated. Schools are now expected to be far more diagnostic and offer fully adapted teaching/events etc to target specific groups