This briefing, from CPAG and the NEU, lays out from an education perspective what is needed to reduce child poverty, to alleviate the negative impacts of poverty on children’s education, and to empower schools to ensure all children can thrive in education.
We all want an education system where all young people can thrive and make the most of their time at school. We hope that they attain good exam grades, explore their passions and interests through trips and clubs, and that they develop lifelong friendships through key milestones such as going to their school prom or leavers event. CPAG’s research out this week has shown that for secondary school pupils from lower-income families, this isn’t always the case
Parents pay at least £1,000 a year to send a child to state primary school in the UK and nearly £2,300 to secondary school – a jump in costs of 16% and 30% respectively since 2022, far outstripping both inflation (8%) and earnings growth (12%) during the same period, new research from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) finds.
The minimum cost of education parents in the UK must meet is now over £1,000 a year for a child at primary school and nearly £2,300 a year for a child at secondary school.
Households with children are at a higher risk of poverty than other households. Large families and single parents are at the highest risk of fuel poverty.
The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, Jenny Gilruth, visited Boghall Primary School in West Lothian to meet members of the Cost of the School Day Voice network who presented their thoughts, and the views of more than five thousand other young people in Scotland about poverty and school costs.
The Bill includes practical and tangible policy reforms which will reduce the cost of the school day for all families but make the biggest difference to the 4.3 million children that are currently growing up in poverty.
Since water was privatised in 1989, household water bills have risen faster than the rate of inflation. On 19 December OFWAT announced an average increase in charges of 36 per cent above inflation over the next five years, with considerable variations between companies ranging from a 53 per cent increase for Southern Water customers to 21 per cent for customers of Northumbrian Water and Wessex Water. Across England and Wales, water bills will rise by an average of £123 a year from April.
I had an interesting meeting I wanted to tell you about. I had the opportunity to meet with the Minister for Employment and the Secretary of State for Education at 10 Downing Street.
This briefing provides information on policies announced in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, alongside policy areas where opportunities to support children’s wellbeing were missed in this legislation.
