Responding to a new report from the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) which found that nearly one-third of primary school teachers have reported more pupils showing up to school hungry, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Schools are increasingly having to step in to support children and parents struggling with the impact of the cost of living.

“We’ve heard from school leaders who are setting up foodbanks and warm hubs, providing crisis vouchers for supermarkets, offering use of showers and washing machines, and even giving parents cash for energy meters.

“This is on top of dealing with the cost pressures their schools are continuing to face due to sustained high inflation, with many having to raise income from sources like charity grants and fundraising to cover basic costs including classroom materials and staffing. In our recent funding survey, just 1% of school leaders told us they received enough money to fully meet the needs of all their pupils, while more than four fifths (83%) said they lacked the funding needed to maintain their school buildings.

“Urgent government action is needed to relieve the pressure on both families and schools. This should include direct financial support to alleviate pressures on parents, for example, by extending free school meals, more money to ensure services like social care, which have suffered huge cuts, are better equipped to help families, and sustained investment in schools still struggling after a decade in which funding has failed to keep pace with inflation.”