James Bowen, assistant general secretary for school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Our members have reported increasing concerns about rising levels of poverty in their school communities and the impact of hunger on pupils. These findings chime with those concerns.

“Children who arrive at school hungry, cold or tired cannot focus properly on their learning and our members are increasingly having to go above and beyond to help struggling families by providing basic necessities. But this isn’t sustainable, especially as school budgets are also under considerable pressure.

“The government needs to do far more to break down the barriers to children’s learning caused by poverty, which are now affecting many more families due to the cost-of-living crisis.

“Targeted measures like extending free school meals to all pupils in households in receipt of universal credit would make a real difference, but the government also needs to provide more support for families beyond the school gates and address the root causes of shameful levels of child poverty.”