Cost of the School Day calendar - Summer term 2027

April

Charity or awareness day	Date	Things to think about
International Children’s Book Day	2 April	Explore how to link your work on reducing the cost of the school day to any of your climate and sustainability work. Promote recycling and re-using of uniform, resources and equipment to help families with costs and to support efforts to limit the impact on the environment.
Earth Day	22 April

Special event	Date	Things to think about
Passover	21-29 April	When planning work experience for students this term, consider any additional costs or barriers students might face when arranging placements. Make sure students are signposted to any help with travel or clothing costs. Ensure that students in receipt of free school meals won't miss out on lunches while they're on placement.
St George's Day	23 April
Work experience	Varies by school

Ideas on how to set-up uniform recycling.

Event	Date	Things to think about
Exams	Varies	At exam time, some schools have set up loan systems for revision materials such as revision guides and laptops for students to study at home. If secondary students are on study leave, make sure that those who get free school meals are still able to have a school lunch.

Charity or awareness day	Date	Things to think about
Mental Health Awareness Week	10-16 May	Growing up in poverty can have an impact on children’s mental health. To tackle some of the stigma that can be a consequence of living in poverty, develop ways for pupil voice to inform the support you offer at your school.

Special event	Date	Things to think about
Diwrnod Seren a Sbarc (Wales)	Varies by school	Attending the Urdd Eisteddfod in person may come with an entry charge, and families may also have to pay for their child’s Urdd membership if they are competing. Families may also have to pay for transport, food and drink, and resources for activities once there. Some competitions in the Urdd syllabus require resources such as art and design materials, ingredients, special clothing or musical instruments. Schools could consider how to supply learners with these resources so costs aren’t passed on to families who cannot afford them. The Welsh Government often arranges free or subsidised Urdd tickets for low-income families, so make sure everyone who could qualify is helped to access this support.
Urdd Eisteddfod (Wales)	29 May - 3 June

For more ideas on learning resources.

Take a look at our resources for ideas on how to set up a pupil-led Cost of the School Day group.

Charity or awareness day	Date	Things to think about
LGBTQ+ Pride month	1-30 June	If you're running bikeability or bike training sessions for pupils, consider how you can make sure that those pupils who don’t have a bike still get an opportunity to learn this valuable skill. Some schools have set up loan systems for school bikes to make sure that all children get a chance to learn to cycle.
World Bicycle Day	3 June
World Environment Day	5 June

Special event	Date	Things to think about
Father’s Day	20 June	Father’s Day can be a nice opportunity to do arts and crafts and card-making with pupils that include taking photographs. These provide an opportunity for all families to receive a school photograph, without needing to spend lots of money. If you're using an external professional photographer at any time over the course of the school year, ensure that there are a wide range of packages available so families can choose an option that best suits their budget. When giving out the photographs families have purchased, encourage collection from a designated point in school so attention isn't drawn to those that haven't made a purchase.
Summer trips	Varies by school	School trips can be challenging for families living on lower incomes. Make sure families get lots of notice for any trips that cost money. Give families the option to pay in instalments or with payment plans. Make sure students don’t miss out on their free school meals on school trip days, and that they get packed lunches that are as nutritious, filling and appealing as their usual school dinners. Think carefully about visiting gift shops if you're taking pupils to venues when merchandise is on offer, to keep costs lower for families.

Special event	Date	Things to think about
Sports Day	Varies by school	Try to encourage re-using and recycling clothing and accessories if pupils are dressing up in team or house colours for Sports Day. Ask pupils to make use of things like hair accessories and socks in designated colours, rather than buying new clothing. Use Sports Day as an opportunity to review your PE kit requirements, consider how many compulsory items there are and how much your PE kit currently costs. Ensure that, as well as uniform, families can pass on and recycle PE kit and equipment. Consider setting up loan systems for items of PE kit that families may only use for part of the year, such as shin pads. Review and monitor which pupils are taking part in extra-curricular sporting opportunities. Are children from lower-income households participating in your wider sporting offer?

Make sure families know how to speak to if they are worried about the cost of a trip.

Event	Date	Things to think about
End of school year (England, Wales, Scotland)	Varies by school	Make sure you give families lots of notice and provide flexible payment options for any end-of-year celebrations that will cost money. If you're offering mementoes like year books or leavers' hoodies, make sure that these are accessible and all children can have a keepsake from their time at school. Some schools have made their own yearbooks to lower costs. For end-of-year discos, proms or parties, try to reduce the pressure families might feel to spend money on expensive outfits, accessories and transport. Some schools have introduced recycling schemes for dresses and suits to ensure families can access lower-cost pre-loved clothing.

How one school developed a new initiative to remove costs associated with attending their prom for their senior pupils.