In the latest survey of over 8,000 National Education Union members, conducted ahead of Annual Conference in Bournemouth, we asked teachers and support staff about the issue of child poverty.
- Our members report that their school/college is working to support disadvantaged students, by helping with, for instance, school uniform (76%), free breakfasts (52%) and period products (63%).
- Teachers and support staff are paying out of their own pocket, and on a regular basis, for extra food, period products, toiletries and laundry, in order to help disadvantaged pupils in their care.
- Teachers told us about the impacts on learning that they are seeing as a result of poverty in their everyday school experience. 84% told us they see signs of tiredness/fatigue, 79% an inability to concentrate, and for 65% an inability to complete homework.
- Members want to see solutions from Government to properly respond to levels of child poverty. 79% of teachers call for free school meals for all children who attend primary schools in England and Wales. 89% want to see a strengthening of rules to ensure school uniforms are affordable. 78% would like to see a dedicated technology budget to combat the digital divide.
The State of Education survey gauges the views of working teacher, support staff and school leader NEU members in England and Wales. We are releasing the findings over the course of Annual Conference.
Impacts on learning
Teachers in England and Wales report that poverty is impacting students’ learning and health on an overwhelming scale. One teacher wrote “I have been shocked by the Dickensian-style poverty here in England,” while another described the impact this has on learning: “They see no point to school as they can’t see a way out of poverty.”
We asked teachers to identify the impacts on learning that they are seeing in their own classroom as a result of poverty. Tiredeness/fatigue and an inability to concentrate, led the list. Two thirds of respondents also reported they are seeing disadvantaged students unable to complete homework.
Members of a leadership team were more likely to tick all of these options, as they are more likely to be involved in pastoral care. Among English state secondary school teachers, 79% reported of disadvantaged pupils who have an inability to complete homework.
One teacher described the impact of this on future attainment: “The gap is getting wider. Some students are well fed and have access to the latest technology; others do not even have a bedroom…”
Another adds, “so many children telling us they are not sleeping at night because they are too cold – it is horrifying.” This is in part accounting for many of the cases of absenteeism, be it exhaustion or caring duties that get in the way of schooling. Our members also have to deal with in-school absenteeism when pupils do not attend lessons, and low-level disruption when they do.
Some absences are down to “not being able to get to school because they cannot afford bus fare.” Similarly, one respondent highlighted that sixth form students “are more likely to not receive financial support from parents when aged 16-19, often finding it difficult to travel to sixth form.”
A support staff member wrote, “Absenteeism is strongly linked with poverty. External agencies don’t support us/them with help when the child is not in school, and social services attendance time is becoming more delayed.”
“A lot of pupils are coming in tired from being up all night, especially those with parents who work shifts as they’re not there to tell them to go to bed.”
Many of these findings are slightly less acute than last year when the same questions were asked, although in the majority of cases the statistical fluctuation is relatively small. Condition of school uniform has dropped more significantly from 68% to 54%; this is the area in which most teachers reported schools offering assistance (see next section) and perhaps that is what’s making the difference. The drop in signs of hunger, meanwhile, from 60% to 53%, could be in part due to programmes like free school meals for all primary children, and the widespread adoption of free breakfasts.
“We’re also seeing the impact of pupils struggling with behaviour/mental health due to poor accommodation/financial strain on parent/carers, creating tension, unease and stress in their homes.”
Clearly, hunger and child poverty remain significant issues throughout the country. More UK children are living in poverty than in 2010/11, when the figure stood at 3.6 million. This now stands at 4.3 million according to the latest Government figures – an increase of 700,000 during their time in office.
In last year’s State of Education survey, 94% of teachers and 97% of support staff in England agreed with the statement that poverty/low income affects the learning of pupils. For 61% and 66% respectively, this was ‘to a large extent’.
Help from School/College
Schools are doing a great deal to support disadvantaged students, including help with uniforms (76%), period products (63%) and free breakfasts (52%).
Provision of hygiene banks has dropped significantly since last year (from 29%), while the most common provisions remain broadly the same if slightly down. In English state schools, secondary teachers (79%) are more likely to report that their school offers period products.
“There is only so much we can do as a school and as educators. Government needs to properly support families, close the equalities gap, re-open Sure Start centres, provide decent housing and health care for all and give support to children who are carers.”
“The services outside of education are non-existent and rely on schools far too much. Social care, CAHMS, SEN services and parent support are largely absent, poor and inadequate.”
The picture remains largely unchanged for support staff in England, as the following table shows. Provision of food banks is up on last year (from 29% to 34%) and help with school uniform has increased slightly (from 74% to 76%). The availability of hygiene banks within schools has halved, from 24% to 12%, confirming the picture provided by teacher respondents.
Filling the Gaps
Teachers and support staff alike have described to us actions they regularly take to support disadvantaged students from out of their own pocket. This overlaps with the programmes put in place by schools/colleges, demonstrating that schools/colleges cannot meet need within existing budgets.
This table for teachers highlights the critical issue of hunger. As teachers know well, keeping children fed helps them to concentrate and to learn. It also indicates they are struggling to eat sufficiently outside of school. The supply of toiletries and period products also demonstrates the responsibility our members feel towards the children in their daily care.
By contrast, support staff in England are slightly more likely to provide help with school uniform (33%), period products (27%), toiletries (20%) and laundry (14%). More than three quarters (77%) regularly provide extra food to pupils.
“…It’s time to stop being that ‘sticky plaster’ to cover the cracks caused by the lack of funding and austerity that’s been longstanding.”
In open responses, members also reported providing their students with everything from stationery and books to take home; to holiday gifts, and ensuring that pupils didn’t feel left out; providing costumes for World Book Day, and brushing hair before school. Teachers know that this isn’t a sustainable solution, however, and several responded that they could no longer afford to pay out of their own pocket to help students due to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on their own lives.
“School budgets need to be larger to allow for needs to be met as they are identified. Teaching staff in my school provide many necessary resources and basic products such as food and clothes as there simply is no money or willingness to pay for absolute necessities. It’s impossible to ignore the desperate need you face every day.”
What Should Government Do?
Our members want to see solutions to the challenges they are seeing every day. According to Child Poverty Action Group’s own estimates, in every class of 30 there will be 9 pupils who are living in poverty.
We asked teachers about a series of practical proposals to support those in their care who are living in poverty or on a low income:
There is a growing support for free school meals for all. 79% of teachers agree that this should be the case in all primary schools (up from 76% in 2023). Two thirds (64%) believe that this should also be the case in secondary schools. Support staff in England poll slightly stronger, with 80% and 65% respectively.
The response also varied according to the demographics of the school. Of teachers working in English state schools with the highest levels of deprivation, 87% agreed that all primary school pupils should receive free school meals, and 76% agreed that all secondary school pupils should receive free school meals.
Other results are broadly consistent with last year. Calls to increase the benefit gap and drop the 2-child benefit limit still command around 50% support. The former is more popular among support staff.
“Narrow the gap between the haves and the have nots. Stop burdening schools with more and more responsibility i.e. of other stretched services such as social care, health, debt advice, mental health support etc. Reintroduce other supportive agencies. Adequate SEND provision both in mainstream and specialist settings.”
“Proper housing stock – working in the most overcrowded local authority in the country, this has a huge impact on our students' ability to work outside of school. Studying for GCSEs and A Levels requires students to have a dedicated quiet study space, something many of our students do not have.”
Commenting on the findings of the survey, Daniel Kebede, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“This Government’s record on child poverty is an absolute disgrace. After 14 years of Conservative rule, we now have hundreds of thousands more children growing up trapped in poverty.
“On a daily basis schools and colleges are seeing the impact poverty has on children and young people. Providing items such as such as food, clothing, and toiletries are for many a necessity.
“Teachers also report seeing high levels of fatigue, hunger and poor health in their pupils, consequences of a life lived in poverty.
“What child can learn, concentrate, and thrive when faced with such barriers? The suffering endured by 4.3 million children living in poverty is a political choice.
“Schools are witnessing the effects of this Government’s punishingly inadequate benefit system and the 2-child benefit cap. Decimated family support services and mental health provision simply add to the problem. Schools and colleges are doing all they can but are having to pick up the pieces of the Government’s wilful dismantling of external support. The system is being drained of the expertise and money with which to cope.
"Poverty limits children’s futures. It holds children back in school and cuts off their potential at the very start of their lives. Food poverty embeds issues of class inequality and social isolation in school.
“The argument to extend free school meals grows more compelling by the day. London has shown what is possible and is already reaping the rewards. Children are more engaged and thriving in lessons. We at the NEU believe that every child attending primary school in England deserves access to free school meals. Our members agree. If the Government truly believed in the wellbeing of young people, they would make it happen.”
Editor’s Note
We split the responses into two broad groups: school teachers and school support staff. We split these two groups into English state schools, Welsh state schools and independent schools in England and Wales. We did this so we could weight responses against the different demographic data available from their respective workforce censuses.
Where we have reported results for school teachers in England and Wales or support staff in England and Wales, we have combined the responses for English state schools, Welsh state schools and independent schools in England and Wales and weighted them in proportion to the size of the workforce.