As cost of living soars, teachers report growing numbers of hungry, cold and tired pupils who are less able to concentrate at school

Clear signs that the cost of living crisis is increasingly affecting young people’s education are laid out today in new research published by the Sutton Trust.

Key factors:

• The majority (52%) of Senior Leaders in state schools say the number of pupils unable to afford lunch who aren’t eligible for free school meals has increased this term, rising to 59% of Senior Leaders in the most deprived schools

• State school teachers are seeing growing numbers of children facing serious issues linked to the cost of living, including coming to school hungry (38% of teachers) and without warm clothing (54%)
• 38% of state school teachers say at least a third of their pupils are facing financial pressures that are affecting their ability to succeed in school, rising to 72% of teachers in the most deprived schools

A survey of school teachers across England, carried out by Teacher Tapp, reveals that teachers are seeing growing numbers of pupils facing serious issues linked to living costs this autumn term.

Despite calls to widen access to Free School Meals from the 22.5% of pupils currently eligible, the government declined to do so in the November budget.

However, the research reveals that over half (52%) of Senior Leaders in state schools say that during the autumn term, the number of children in their school unable to afford lunch who weren’t eligible for free school meals increased. Leaders working in the most deprived schools, with the highest proportions of existing pupils eligible for Free School Meals, were more likely to say there were more pupils unable to afford lunch, at 59%, compared to 44% of those in the least deprived schools. This indicates that pupils falling just outside of Free School Meals eligibility are increasingly going hungry.

In state schools, three quarters (74%) of teachers say they have seen an increase in pupils unable to concentrate or tired in class, almost seven in ten (67%) have students with behaviour issues, and over half (54%) have seen an increase in those coming to school without adequate winter clothing like a coat. 38% of teachers said growing numbers of children are coming to school hungry, with 17% saying there was an increase in families asking to be referred to foodbanks. 

The survey shows marked differences between the experiences of teachers in the most deprived schools and those in the most affluent. The scale of difference was particularly high for the most concerning problems – teachers seeing increasing numbers of children coming to school hungry (56% in the most deprived schools vs 22% in the least), families asking to be referred to a foodbank (27% vs 8%) and an increase in those without adequate winter clothing (65% vs 40%).

When asked about the proportion of pupils facing financial pressures that were affecting their ability to succeed in school, 38% of state school teachers said this is the case for at least a third of their class. This rises to 72% in the most deprived schools. There were significant differences by region, with around 43% of all teachers in the North West, Yorkshire and the North East saying more than a third of their pupils are struggling, compared to 27% of teachers from the South East.

Over two-thirds of teachers believe the cost of living crisis will increase the attainment gap between the less well-off and the most well-off pupils in their school, with 18% of teachers believing this increase will be substantial. Just 9% of teachers believe that the crisis won’t have any impact on the attainment gap.

Sir Peter Lampl, Founder and Chairman of the Sutton Trust and Chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation, said:

“It’s a scandal that in one of the world’s richest countries growing numbers of children are going without basics such as food and warm clothing. More and more pupils in England’s most deprived schools are coming to school hungry and without warm clothing such as a coat. It’s a fact that children who arrive at school hungry have difficulty learning. Three quarters (74%) of state school teachers say they have seen an increase in pupils unable to concentrate or tired in class. Almost seven in ten (67%) have students with behaviour issues. 

“Teachers in the most deprived schools report that increasing numbers of children who are not eligible for Free School Meals are unable to afford lunch. Over two-thirds of teachers believe the cost of living crisis will increase the attainment gap between the less well-off and the most well-off pupils in their school.

“The facts are stark and shaming. Without radical intervention and increased provision for those who need it most, the cost of living crisis will produce a decline in social mobility, gravely endangering the long-cherished project of levelling up.”

Sector Response

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“Nearly one third of children in the UK are living in poverty, a completely unacceptable figure for one of the world’s wealthiest economies. Schools see the impact of child poverty all the time and this dire situation has been made worse by the cost-of-living crisis. Poverty is hugely damaging to the wellbeing of the children affected and also affects their education as pupils who are cold and hungry are not in a fit state to learn.

“Schools desperately need the government to do more to help these young people and their families. Sustained long-term action and investment is required, but an important step that the government can and should take right now is to extend the eligibility of free school meals to all families in receipt of universal credit. As well as being a lifeline for families, there is evidence to suggest that good diet in childhood improves behaviour and academic attainment in school and boosts lifetime productivity.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“School leaders are seeing first-hand the impact that the cost of living crisis is having on pupils and families. Our members are reporting that they are seeing more and more families struggle to afford the basics, including food. There is a real worry we will see more children going cold and hungry at home this winter.  It is those poorest and most vulnerable families that are hardest hit, and who often turn to schools for support. 

“Children who are hungry cannot learn as well as they might be able to. Schools are trying to help where they can, with support for things like food and uniform, but the issues that underpin inequality reach far beyond the school gates and exist throughout the communities that schools serve.”

Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: 

“This new research confirms what NEU members have been seeing for months. More and more people are being pulled into poverty by Government policies and it is children who are paying the price. Restrictive eligibility for free school meals has long meant that children have been going hungry and the cost-of-living crisis means that more and more families are struggling to make ends meet.

Offering free school meals to all children in primary school would be a welcome first step in tackling the epidemic of child hunger, giving families some breathing room and supporting the education and wellbeing of our children. The cost of not doing so is too great. The Government must rectify its decision not to widen access to free school meals and ensure that every child in primary school gets a hot, healthy meal every day.”

EPI comments on Sutton Trust research into the cost of living

Jo Hutchinson, Director for SEND and Additional Needs, said: “Today’s report from the Sutton Trust paints a bleak picture for young people’s ​heath, wellbeing, and educational outcomes. While the difficulties facing teachers and pupils in the most deprived schools are concerning, the growing prevalence of these challenges in the least disadvantaged schools is even more worrying. This highlights the far-reaching impact of the current cost of living crisis.
The effects of disadvantage are now reaching increasing numbers of pupils attending schools that are not experienced at combatting the challenges associated with poverty and with fewer resources due to their smaller pupil premium budgets. Alongside better targeted support for disadvantaged pupils, it’s now clearer than ever that a cross-government child poverty strategy is required to combat poverty’s growing presence in the classroom.”