The Cost of Learning in Lockdown (March 2021 update) is a report based on surveys carried out with parents, carers, children and young people asking them about their family's experience of learning during lockdown, with particular focus on families struggling with money.
We've produced a practical resource for educations staff to help tackle poverty and the cost of the school day, in collaboration with Children North East and the National Education Union.
Research from Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) shows that more than half of children in Wales who live in poverty are not entitled to free school meals. In a typical class of 25 children, seven will be living in poverty, and four of these will not be able to get a free school meal.
Every child should be able to make the most of their time at school, but we know that the cost of school can put pressure on low-income families and put some children at risk of missing out on opportunities and feeling different and stigmatised. CPAG’s Cost of the School Day project in Scotland is working with schools and local authorities to understand the barriers that costs create for children from low-income families, and to support policy and practice change to reduce or remove them. With the project set to be introduced in England and Wales, and expanded in Scotland, what can be learned from the last six years.
Resources developed with a focus on England, Scotland or Wales to fit the needs of each nation's schools and curriculum, but most of them can easily be adapted for other areas.
Whether you're an adviser with a case to share, a member of the public with experience of the benefits system, or a young person wanting to tackle poverty in your school, we'd like to hear from you.
The Cost of the School Day project provides a range of resources for schools and local authorities who are trying to remove or reduce financial barriers to education.
Helping schools to identify possible cost barriers during the academic year, and think about alternatives to make sure all children and young people can fully participate in education.
