Talking about costs and money with parents and carers can feel difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. This resource is full of insights from parents and carers about how schools can communicate with them about costs, make them aware of the entitlements for school age children, and how to make sure families feel comfortable enough to open up when there are financial problems at home.
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.
These activities can help your group to start conversations, consider what impact poverty and costs can have on school life and think about what action you're going to take. This is all about how you might go about taking action.
When CPAG in Scotland and the University of Aberdeen organised a roundtable event at the Scottish Parliament to discuss school uniform affordability and the school clothing grant with MSPs, we knew it was vital to hear directly from young people.
A learner from Trinity High School in South Lanarkshire took part in a special event in the run up to the general election, where young people asked questions direct to candidates from several major parties, and offered a chance for young people to ask questions about the things that matter to them, which included costs at school, the closure of youth clubs and services, tacking child poverty and the difficulties young people are having accessing college places.
Coatbridge High School in North Lanarkshire ran an all day event focusing on the cost of living, with workshops during the day for pupils and a drop-in Cost of Living Fayre for families after school, which showcased the work of a range of organisations in the area and covered wide spectrum of supports for families.
How St Paul’s High School, Glasgow’s Parent Council found ways to raise money online which were effective and non-stigmatising for those who were not able to contribute.
The staff of Bellahouston Academy in Glasgow knew that many of their families were likely to be missing out on vital financial support and were delighted to take part in a programme placing Financial Inclusion Support Officers (FISO) directly in Glasgow schools.
