Pupils with no coats missing school, charity says

Hundreds of children across Yorkshire are missing school because they do not have warm coats and shoes, a charity has said.

Yorkshire Children's Charity said it had identified a growing number of young people in "critical need" of support with clothing as well as bedding.

Founder Charlotte Farrington said the number of applications from schools to the charity for help had risen from 1,940 in 2024 to 2,373.

"No parent wants to be in a position whereby they are going to a charity to ask for shoes and coats and bedding for their children but, unfortunately, needs must," she said.

The charity said as a result of the help provided in 2024 teachers had reported improved attendance from those children who benefitted.

Ms Farrington said she believed there was a direct link between poverty and lower school attendance.

"It might be that it's rained the day before and the child just has a pair of plimsolls, they've come home and there's no heating in the house," she said.

"They go to put their shoes on for school [the next day] and their shoes are still wet and it's just the icing on the cake in terms of, 'fine, don't go in'."

Grange Farm Primary in Seacroft, Leeds, was among 122 schools in Yorkshire to receive a delivery of coats, shoes, hats and scarves from the charity.

Jade Woodhead, whose son attends the school, said receiving the support had helped take some of the pressure away.

"Even though I work part time, I sometimes struggle to make ends meet and I was already panicking a little bit because it's coming up to Christmas, wondering how I'm going to budget everything," she said

"When I got a phone call from the school to say my son had been selected, it really did make my day. Small acts of kindness go a long, long way."

Deputy headteacher Sophie Powley said the support last winter had had a big impact on attendance levels.

"It's meant that children don't have that excuse of staying off school because they're wet and cold and tired," she said.

"We were seeing children arriving just in school uniforms and cardigans and families find it difficult, I think, to say they need help so knowing we've got this to offer them is really important to us."

Children's Commissioner Dame Rachel De Souza said the results of a recent school census showed attendance and poverty were "top concerns".

"No child should be missing out on time in education because of circumstances beyond their control," she said.

"I want to see a clear and ambitious child poverty strategy from government that tackles child poverty head on, so that families are not having to rely on the goodwill of schools and local projects."

The government's child poverty strategy is expected to be published later this year.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.