Two thirds of school staff are seeing more pupils without enough money for lunch

18 September 2023 , 23:01

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More pupils don't have enough dinner money, according to school staff (Image: PA)

Two thirds of school staff say they are seeing more pupils who do not have enough dinner money as schools battle rising poverty levels.

A grim survey of teachers, school governors, teaching assistants and catering staff found 89% said child poverty in their school has soared over the past two years. Some 68% of school staff say more pupils don’t have money for enough food at lunchtime, while 70% of heads say more parents are asking for help with essentials like food and clothing.

The research by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) found 80% believe extending free school meals to all pupils would have a big impact on reducing child poverty in their school. The Mirror is campaigning to widen free school dinner provision to all primary children. An estimated 900,000 kids living in poverty currently don't qualify due to strict eligibility rules.

CPAG head of education policy, Kate Anstey, said: "Child poverty is ripping through our schools, warping the way they work and jeopardising children's learning and life chances. Staff want to focus on children's development but get side-tracked by dinner money debt. As urgent first steps, ministers must widen eligibility for free school meals, boost help with school-related costs and increase child benefit.”

Signs of child poverty have increased in schools over the past two years, staff say (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The Child Poverty Action Group conducted a survey of 1,023 people working in or with schools in England. Almost nine in 10 (88%) said more families in their school who previously appeared to be managing financially are now struggling to cope. The survey also found 79% of all staff say they and their colleagues are increasingly having to spend time helping children in poverty, such as sourcing foodbank vouchers, hardship grants and clothes.

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Mairead Waugh, headteacher at St Philip Howard Catholic Primary School in Hertfordshire, said poverty levels had "increased significantly". She said: "It's widespread. I've been a head for 25 years, I've never seen it as bad as it is at the moment and the numbers are just increasing week-on-week currently."

Paul Whiteman, NAHT General Secretary, said: “Our members have raised concerns with us over the damaging impact of cost-of-living pressures and poverty, with children who may be living in cold, cramped conditions arriving at school hungry. This clearly harms their wellbeing and their ability to learn. As well as trying to focus on teaching and learning, school leaders and their staff are increasingly spending time on initiatives like school foodbanks and warm hubs, providing crisis vouchers for supermarkets, offering use of showers and washing machines, and even giving parents cash for energy meters."

A Government spokesperson said it had extended eligibility for free school meals "several times to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century", including introducing new eligibility criteria for families receiving Universal Credit. The spokesperson also highlighted core schools' funding which it said is "helping schools to manage costs and best support pupils", and noted it had provided "record financial support worth an average £3,300 per household" amid the higher cost of living.

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Lizzy Buchan