The Toolkit helps all members of your school community - children and young people, teachers and school staff, parents and carers – to join the discussion about the barriers costs create and how to tackle them, and includes lots of practice suggestions.
Every school is unique, so this toolkit ensures that every school community can form a customised plan.
Newly updated for summer 2025, it sets out the Cost of the School Day process in five straightforward steps; and features editable action plans, updated information and resources.
Download each step separately as you work through the process.
COSD toolkit: introduction
COSD toolkit: step 1 - do the groundwork
COSD toolkit: step 2 - involve your school community
COSD toolkit: step 3 - identify actions
COSD toolkit: step 4 - put actions in place
COSD toolkit: step 5 - regularly review your actions
COSD toolkit: useful resources
Our funders
The Cost of the School Day Toolkit was originally commissioned by NHS Health Scotland (now Public Health Scotland). The development of earlier versions of the Parent Council resource, Cost of the School Day Flashcards and Supporting Families Affected by Poverty was supported by Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, Glasgow City Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow Centre for Population Health and the former Glasgow Parent Council Forum. National perspectives on the Parent Council resource were developed by the National Parent Forum of Scotland.