Child poverty pushing schools to the brink, says staff survey
Schools are reeling in the face of rising child poverty according to a widescale survey by the Education Anti-Poverty Coalition.
A large majority of staff (79%) reported that they and their colleagues are increasingly having to divert from their allocated roles to deal with its impact, while over half (53%) of teachers reported an increase in the number of pupils struggling to concentrate on learning due to hunger and fatigue compared to two years ago.
More than two thirds (68%) of all school staff, including support staff, said there are more pupils who don’t have money for enough food at lunchtimes.
The survey of 1,000-plus professionals working in every role in schools in England was organised by the coalition, which is convened by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). The survey results, which represent the views of headteachers, senior leaders, teachers, governors, teaching support staff, administrators, catering teams and facilities managers, reveal a picture of schools increasingly dragged off their traditional remit as more pupils arrive not only hungry but worried about money and without the equipment they need to engage with the curriculum.
The research shows that no part of the school system is untouched by child poverty:
- Almost all staff (89%) said child poverty in their school has increased in the last two academic years, including 97% of head teachers/senior leaders and 95% of governors
- 88% of school staff said more families in their school who previously appeared to be managing financially are now struggling to cope
- Three-quarters of school staff (74%) said there is evidence that children growing up in poverty have fallen further behind their peers in learning in the last two years, compared to previous years
- While 79% of all staff said they and their colleagues are increasingly having to divert to poverty-mitigation tasks – for example dealing with dinner money debt, referrals to specialist services and sourcing food bank vouchers, hardship grants, children’s clothes and even home equipment like washing machines for families – this rises to 92% among headteachers
- At the same time, 51% of school staff said schools have less capacity to support struggling families and children, with staffing cuts cited as one reason for this
School staff in every role across England said they are noticing more families struggling with uniform and PE kit requirements (78%) and more children coming to school in ill-fitting or worn-out clothes (72%). Three quarters (76%) of secondary school staff said more pupils don’t have all the equipment they need for lessons.
Asked which policies would have the biggest effect on reducing child poverty in their school:
- 80% of school staff said providing universal free school meals to all school children
- Nearly two thirds (63%) said increasing the amount of financial support low-income and middle-income families with children receive
- 68% said more government help for families with school costs such as uniform and school trips
Commenting on the survey findings on behalf of the coalition, Kate Anstey, head of education policy at CPAG, said: ‘Child poverty is ripping through our schools, warping the way they work and jeopardising children’s learning and life chances. Staff want to focus on children’s development but get sidetracked by dinner money debt. They want the government to act and get more help to families. As urgent first steps, Ministers must widen eligibility for free school meals, boost help with school-related costs and increase child benefit. That’s the minimum needed to give staff their time back and prevent millions of children from falling even further behind.’
Image: Luke Pennystan
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