The NASUWT has partnered with Children North East to raise awareness of the issues of poverty facing young children and how this can affect learning and attainment.
The NASUWT want to encourage schools to undertake an invaluable audit devised by Children North East – Poverty Proofing the School Day.
The charity visit schools to identify any barriers to learning that are facing children and young people from families with less financial resources.
The audit then enables schools to develop an action plan to reduce the stigma and discrimination facing pupils from families living in poverty.
The Facts
- Tests at age 3 show a significant gap between more affluent children and the poorest fifth (Joseph Rowntree Foundation).
- Lower-achieving but more affluent children overtake the highest low-income achievers by age 7 (Joseph Rowntree Foundation).
- Poorer children are half as likely to go to university as their more affluent peers (Joseph Rowntree Foundation).
- Over half of teachers report having seen pupils who are unable to afford uniform (NASUWT).
- 84% of teachers have seen pupils who have clothes that are damaged and frayed (NASUWT).
- Between 2014 and 2015 the cost of travel to school increased for over a third of families (NASUWT).
- By secondary school, 11% of students are expected to have their own computer equipment (NASUWT).
- 12% of parents have been unable to allow their child or children to participate in an educational visit or trip due to the cost (NASUWT).
- Over a third of teachers identify that pupils are unable to participate in after-school activities as a result of financial pressures (NASUWT).
- One in five children in a family that they say ‘is not well off at all’ said they had been embarrassed because their family cannot afford meals (Children’s Commission on Poverty).
