Schools project to understand impact of poverty

A schools project has been learning about the effect poverty can have on children and their families.

City of Wolverhampton Council, working with the charity Children North East, has spent the last six months talking to pupils at 10 schools to hear their concerns.

The authority said it had been able to offer advice and direct those in need to help which might be available.

It said it would also offer financial help where possible, and schools had taken the information on board and were making changes to help the children.

The council said the aim was to understand better how limited finances can affect some children and limit their participation in school.

For instance it said, children might be unable to attend clubs or trips and be limited in choosing some lesson options because of the additional costs - such as buying a musical instrument.

The authority said it wanted to ensure "no child misses out on educational opportunities because of a lack of money".

The research was carried out in five primary schools and five secondaries and the lessons learnt will be shared with other schools.

One of the schools to take part was Stowlawn Primary in Bilston.

Headteacher Kate Charles said it had been important to "give parents and pupils a voice" and take feedback on how the school was run.

She said the school had found that some parents did not know about some of the support available around free school meals and lunchtimes.

The school was able to help those parents and also promised to give more notice of school trips, so they could plan ahead.

Schools had also helped parents by highlighting the support available for school uniforms.

Amanda Gormley, Poverty Proofing Co-ordinator at Children North East, said "clear themes emerged around the cost, quantity and quality of food, the cost of school trips and uniforms".

She also said it was not just families on the very lowest incomes that needed help.

"It can affect anyone", she said, and that included "working parents on low incomes and even families who might seem to be comfortable financially on the face of it, but have high outgoings or changes in circumstances".

City of Wolverhampton Council said the work done so far was just the first phase of the project and it was now looking at how to take it forward.

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