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View Full Version : School children on 'pupi; premium' coud get admision priority



Simona
23-07-2014, 04:00 PM
Good point made by PLA in reference to CMs and PVI settings losing children to nurseries attached to schools

School children on 'pupil premium' could get priority admission to schools under new plans - Education News - Education - The Independent (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/school-children-on-pupil-premium-could-get-priority-admission-to-schools-under-new-plans-9623885.html)

mummyMia
23-07-2014, 09:20 PM
I think this is a terrible idea and will push parents to use preschools even more than they already do. I also think it will massively open up the system to abuse. You only need to qualify for free school meals once to get the pupil premium. Even if your income goes up later and you are no longer eligible for free meals, you get to keep the pupil premium. How many parents are going to see this as an easy way to get into the school of their choice. Simple give up your job for a few months, claim some benefits, apply for the pupil premium, and then go back to work (or not). For many it will be easier than buying an expensive house in the catchment area.

mum67
23-07-2014, 10:23 PM
A school near me got nearly 96,000 allocated to it for the pupil premium for 2013-14 so you can see why the school's would prioritise children who are entitled to free school meals over others.

It's a sad picture we see all the time, money against fair play and totally goes against the equality act and I'd like to see how it fairs when a school ends up in a minority of working parents who don't get the fsm versus the parents on benefits which entitle them to fsm.

Don't get me wrong if people are genuinely in need of benefits then I agree they should get them but I also know a lot of people who have made a life of living on the welfare system with no intention of looking for work, couples who use the excuse of the cost of childcare even though they could share the childcare and work around this, also single parents who use the same excuse and yet have family who are willing to help besides being entitled to the childcare element of tax credits depending on hours and pay , too often they won't go to work for their reasons of it's not worth it yet so many of them can manage to work on the side and get around these obstacles in their way of being legitimate.

The goverment gets everything a**e upwards, deduct benefits for bedroom tax from the needy, take away invalid allowances etc but give school's a pupil premium if they have children who are on fsm.

Why not help working families more and give them entitlement to fsm if on a low salary, at the minute if you get child tax credits alone you get fsm but if you get working tax element with it you can't. It's ridiculous. Just because you work doesn't mean your raking it in quite the opposite because you have to pay for absolutely everything and if you fall behind on your bills, tough you work it's your problem but if your on benefits you can have loads of help. It should all be based on salary and family size to fit in with the cost of living.

Equality isn't just about colour, race, disabilities, gender, sexual preferences etc it is about life in general, poverty, debt, a persons sanity because of the stress their under etc and the government needs to revisit it's policy on this as there is an awful lot missing from it.

mum67
23-07-2014, 10:53 PM
Just to add for those who haven't heard of it before the pupil premium is additional funding given to publicly funded school's to help close the gap between the disadvantaged children and their peers by helping them gain a higher attainment in their learning. It is a good thing as it help's school's provide extra staff for more one to one to help the under achievers, helps towards costs of residential trips to help with their psed or provide mentors for children who need a little coaxing to learn to mix with others and feel better about themselves and gain confidence.

Great idea but very unfair if the school's do choose their intake on the basis of entitlement to fsm.

Personally I don't think that just because you are entitled to a fsm it means your more likely to fall behind or be in need of more support than a child who isn't entitled to them, I'm sure it was once stated that children are more likely to lose interest and fall behind in their education if they are not getting the right amount of good nourishing healthy meals according to a survey of some kind. Which brings me back to my point of helping working parents with school meals also.

Simona
24-07-2014, 07:38 AM
So sorry about the typo in the thread title
I share your concerns and wonder how the govt can possibly introduce such a policy and how can schools implement it? ...where is the equal opportunity for all children and families?...or is it that money talks?

There is a consultation open right now about the Pupil Premium...I seem to have posted it somewhere but cannot find it
I wonder if it is worth posting here if cms feel it is worth responding to?

Simona
24-07-2014, 04:04 PM
Here is the link

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-the-school-admissions-code

gwm
24-07-2014, 06:24 PM
For all their advantages in life and education government members display serious disadvantages in the 'listening and common sense' department. They really are not far removed from Marie Antoinette and her reputed 'Let them eat cake' (or brioche.....).
I agree with Mum67....lack of finance does not equal disadvantaged children. I think that parents on limited incomes should be greatly insulted that this label of their children is thrown around and accepted so readily. Where are the facts? Figures? Not computer model generated figures!
The same computer generated figures that claim that childminders and nurseries are not preparing the children to be school ready. Have they forgotton that schools have had 3 yr olds for 13years?
I know settings who have lost their three year olds to the school nursery and I know that a local private playgroup loses them too. This admission priority will seriously affect the children in our settings as many parents will always be attracted to something a bit cheaper.

Simona
24-07-2014, 08:14 PM
For all their advantages in life and education government members display serious disadvantages in the 'listening and common sense' department. They really are not far removed from Marie Antoinette and her reputed 'Let them eat cake' (or brioche.....).
I agree with Mum67....lack of finance does not equal disadvantaged children. I think that parents on limited incomes should be greatly insulted that this label of their children is thrown around and accepted so readily. Where are the facts? Figures? Not computer model generated figures!
The same computer generated figures that claim that childminders and nurseries are not preparing the children to be school ready. Have they forgotton that schools have had 3 yr olds for 13years?
I know settings who have lost their three year olds to the school nursery and I know that a local private playgroup loses them too. This admission priority will seriously affect the children in our settings as many parents will always be attracted to something a bit cheaper.

Great comments from you and Mum67
I wonder if schools will come to realise that they cannot join the much heralded Truss' 'childcare market' and go for the money rather than look at children's and families' needs from a different angle?

1. for a start they could start liaising with CMs in a more meaningful way and realise these young kids need care and nurture in a smaller setting not a structured environment...we have knocked on their doors for years so time to open them wide

2. they could refuse to take the kids so young and leave them in a more appropriate home based care...that would free classrooms for the children 'legally' entitled to school education at 5 and 1/4 and avoid families jumping through hoops to get there or attending church for the purpose of getting the priest's signature and then never attend church again

3. the pupil premium will not get kids 'ready for school'...at age 2 no child will ever be and, unless they make the school 'ready for the children' we are going round in ever increasing circles

4. they could see these children through a different lens rather than through the 'disadvantaged' label that they have to carry through their school years...add free school meals and pupil premium and...voila... they are nicely slotted in ..let them eat cake...indeed!