Back-to-school but blocked from learning – secondary pupils excluded by costs

Secondary school children from low-income families are starting the new school year bounced out of some subjects and learning by costs, research from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows. A survey of over 1000 secondary school children in England found:

• 23% of those on free school meals (FSM) say the cost or worries about the cost of taking a subject has prevented them from choosing a subject to study (compared to 9% of non-FSM pupils).
• 29% on FSM say the cost is important to them when choosing their subjects, compared to 11% of pupils not receiving FSM.
• 30% of students eligible for free school meals say it’s difficult to afford what they need for homework, including access to technology and devices.

GCSE subject-costs can include the cost of fieldwork trips for geography, the cost of an exchange or language learning trip for modern foreign Languages, of learning to play an instrument for music, ingredients for food and nutrition and extra kit and equipment for PE. These costs vary from school to school and come on top of general school expenses such as uniform, stationery and textbooks.

Child Poverty Action Group says the research confirms that if government is to achieve its ‘moral mission’ to reduce child poverty and spread opportunity, its Autumn child poverty strategy must bring in more support for family incomes and invest in children’s futures – including scrapping the two-child limit. While the DfE and schools can and must do more to reduce school costs, the starting point must be for government to ensure that families have what they need to give children the best possible start in life.

Child Poverty Action Group’s head of education policy Kate Anstey said:

Children in struggling families are going back to school only to be bounced out of some subjects and learning by costs – cut off from opportunities just as the foundations of their futures are being laid. 

The Prime Minister has promised to leave ‘no stone unturned to give every child the very best start at life’ but actions are needed to match that objective. Government‘s forthcoming child poverty strategy must invest in family incomes and children’s life chances - and scrapping the two-child limit must be the first action point. 

Other findings from the survey are:

• Secondary pupils on FSM are nearly twice as likely as their better-off peers to report that their family’s income makes it harder for them to learn at school (15% compared to 8%). 
• Children receiving free school meals are nearly twice as likely as other children to say it’s difficult to afford things they need for lessons such as pens and pencils (14% compared to 8%).
• More than a third of children eligible for free school meals (34%) say it’s difficult to afford school trips, and more than a fifth (21%) report that it’s difficult to afford school clubs.
• More than a quarter of children receiving free school meals (27%) say it’s difficult to afford musical instruments or instrument tuition, pricing some young people out of music. 

Notes to editors: 

The online poll of 1,701 UK secondary school students, including 1027 students in England, was conducted by Survation for Child Poverty Action Group. The survey was carried out between 17 April and 1 May 2025.

Previous CPAG research found that it costs parents of secondary school children a minimum of £2274.77 per year per child to send their children to school. Of this, the minimum cost of learning materials including stationery, revision guides and calculators is £449.67.

CPAG media contact: Jane Ahrends 07816 909302