Learner voice takes the lead in the Big Question report

This week we launched the Cost of the School Day Big Question report and film. We had a huge response to the Big Question survey, with 5,394 children and young people across Scotland sharing their views through on school costs, particularly food and trips, what makes them feel ready to learn, and their ideas for creating change in schools. This report is full of insights from those young people on the impact of poverty on school life and what needs to be done to make things better, in their own words.

The Big Question report and film

The report outlines what children have to say about:

• The school costs which matter most when they are unaffordable.
• What’s needed to feel ready to learn - from needs at home to school environment and culture, relationships, learning and teaching, participation, resources, food and more.  
• Why food and trips matter for learning and wellbeing, the impact of missing out, support that helps reduce barriers in school and what national action they want to see from the Scottish government .
• Big Cost of the School Day Ideas to help make their schools more equitable and inclusive. 

The Big Question film is presented by fantastic young people from Cost of the School Day Voice network schools Boghall Primary in West Lothian, Holyrood Secondary in Glasgow and Auchenharvie Academy in North Ayrshire, who helped to make this film to ensure everyone gets a chance to fully engage with the report findings. The film has already been shared widely with schools who plan to use this at assemblies, with equity groups and in classrooms.

What children and young people said

The thoughts and ideas of the young people who took part in the Big Question are often strikingly honest and make powerful reading.  Big Question responses clearly show that access to food and trips, and readiness to learn is strongly influenced by family income. Young people’s insights into the impact of low incomes on school life have implications for everybody working to reduce child poverty, narrow the attainment gap and improve outcomes for children affected by poverty. 

What happens next

Children and young people had lots of ideas about what needs to change and should be at the centre of discussions about how this can happen. The report includes recommendations to help everyone think about how they can respond to the Big Question in their own settings.

Based on what young people told us, we are calling on the Scottish government to keep their commitments to greater support for trips, food and devices at school. Young people also offered ideas for schools and local authorities to act on that can reduce the cost of the school day.

We will be sharing the Big Question report and film with the Scottish government, including the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, and will keep Cost of the School Day Voice network members up to date with their responses.