Best Practice

The cost of winter: Ideas for how schools can support families

Poverty Pupil wellbeing Pastoral issues
The winter season will exacerbate the economic hardship that many have faced this year. Sean Harris, doctoral researcher in the consequences of poverty, examines practical ways in which teachers and schools can tackle disadvantage this wintertime
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Families are considered destitute if they have not been able to meet their most basic physical needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s Destitution in the UK report, published in October, reveals that approximately 3.8 million people experienced destitution in the past year, including around one million children. This is almost 2.5 times more people than found themselves in this position in 2017 – and nearly triple the number of children (Fitzpatrick et al, 2023).

More figures, this time published by the Trussell Trust (2023), tell us that the number of food banks being accessed nationally has increased exponentially in the last 12 months. Indeed, December 2022 was the busiest month on record for food banks, with a food parcel being distributed every eight seconds.

It is not surprising that need rises during winter. Rising energy and fuel bills put enormous pressure on already impossible budgets and the Christmas period can push many to breaking point.

It reinforces what many teachers and school leaders observe in schools every day and we must not let the “typicality” of this lead to complacency.

Just as schools prepare for specific periods in the rhythm of the academic calendar (beginning of term, exams season), there is a need for us to prepare for the hardship that pupils, families and colleagues will face this winter.

 

Poverty-informed practice

In my work with schools, I regularly talk about poverty-informed practice – the ways in which leaders place disadvantaged pupils and their families at the forefront of their decisions.

Ensure that teams have a clear line of sight about what disadvantage will mean in your school community this winter. Consider whether colleagues understand and agree about the common barriers that families will face. When considering a specific piece of work, questions I find helpful to ask include:

  • What is the intention behind this activity or project?
  • What barriers might exist because of family income, health or other factors?
  • How will this work/project be communicated to our most disadvantaged parents/carers – and to your most disadvantaged pupils?
  • How will we support teachers and support staff to work with disadvantaged pupils on this project?
  • How will we review how disadvantaged pupils and families have engaged with and benefited from the project?

 

Value of belonging

There is value in giving pupils opportunities to develop a sense of community and belonging in schools (Allen et al, 2018; Riley et al, 2020). It is even more vital during a season when many families will experience hardship.

Security and stability of home environments will not be a consistent reality for many of our pupils. Consider the extent to which activities and school processes support pupils and colleagues in developing a sense of belonging. Examples might include:

  • A Christmas dinner for pupils and paid for/subsidised for those in need. Leaders actively involved in serving the dinner to create an informal restaurant experience.
  • Create opportunities for pupils to talk about the cost of living or other areas of concern. Ensure that these are signposted yet discreet.
  • Low-cost activities to build community. One school I know holds an annual Christmas door decoration competition. Tutor groups compete to decorate their classroom doors using resources provided by the school.
  • Alternative advent – create a daily opportunity for classes or tutor groups to carry out random acts of kindness for each other and the school community.

 

Removing hidden costs

Of course, the hidden costs of schooling are a year-round challenge for families living in poverty.

Education is free in this country, but a report from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG, 2023a) lists many elements essential to a basic education that still require parents to spend money (uniform, learning materials, trips, packed launches, etc). Indeed, the annual price tag for going to school is £1,756 per secondary child and £865 for a primary child. That’s £18,346 across all 14 years of school.

Uniform is perhaps the biggest example of how schools can make things better (or worse). There has been updated statutory guidance on uniform, but despite this research from the Children’s Society found that some schools still demand five or more items of branded uniform. On average secondary uniforms cost families £422 per-student, per-year, while primary school parents pay an average of £287.

During winter, these hidden costs can rise further as schools often become hives of activity, with concerts, Christmas fayres, and charity activities.

Encouraging pupils to engage in charitable fundraising and to support others has clear benefits (Arthur et al, 2017). However, it is important to consider how this is implemented so that we do not create undue financial or social pressure on families. Here are some examples of good practice to reduce cost pressures in winter:

  • Schools often request “optional donations” for events or things like Christmas jumpers or non-uniform days but then proceed to ask for donations to be given in form-time in front of peers. Facilitate opportunities like this in such a way that the donation is genuinely optional and anonymous.
  • Concerts or performances can create tension for families. Avoid approaches such as “first-come, first-served” for tickets and consider alternatives such as paying in installments, making subsidies available, or even removing the cost in full for families in need.
  • A second-hand uniform shop – this is especially useful as cold weather bites. Disadvantaged pupils often do not have the correct clothing, especially warm coats, gloves and hats (see CPAG, 2023b).
  • Footwear: Allow pupils choice over footwear. At the very least can they change into school shoes on arrival? Winter weather leads to excessive wear and tear on school shoes as they are rarely designed for such conditions.
  • Storage: Create a space for pupils to leave study books, wet coats and extra baggage. This can save excessive wear to school bags during the day and ensures pupils are not carrying cold or wet clothing while in school.

 

Cost-saving communications

At my trust we recently undertook a review of marketing and communications with pupils and families. Parents reported that a primary motivator in reading our academy newsletters were the articles that signposted to low-cost family activities and ideas to reduce costs at home.

Consider how you can use your school-home communications to support families during the winter months. Examples our families have found useful include:

  • Cooking on a budget: Low-cost cooking and baking recipes for pupils and families to try at home. This might include signposting where families can purchase the ingredients for low-cost.
  • Free family activities: The wet-winter months can mean that some families are more reluctant to venture out. Signposting free activities is a good way to further encourage activities for families and encouraging attendance at local events that help to celebrate festivities without breaking budgets.
  • Support services: Including details of local food banks, charities and government services that provide additional care during the winter months can help those families that need it. It also reinforces that the school is aware about the additional costs facing families this winter.
  • Restaurant options: Provide examples of where families can access restaurants or local cafés in which children can eat for low-cost or for free with every paying adult.
  • Beyond digital: In a technology-based world, it is easy to assume that school communications are readily and more easily accessed by a majority through digital technology. This is not the case for families struggling with mobile tariffs, limited data usage or bandwidth at home. Consider how school newsletters and communications can be readily accessed without a need for technology.

 

Costs for colleagues

A study in September (Lucas et al, 2023) highlights the pressure that teachers are feeling to purchase items for their classes or individual children, with some unable to claim back this expenditure from their school.

At the same time, other teachers report that the scale and impact of school cuts to learning resources is exacerbated by the fact that they can no longer afford to purchase learning resources for their classroom themselves where they once would have done.

On top of this, the cost of school for our colleagues cannot be ignored. The winter months bring a plethora of end-of-term and festive activities that create additional costs for staff. It is important for school leaders to consider the ways in which this is managed. Examples might include:

  • Cost of living conversations: Ensure that line management meetings feature an agenda item about the cost-of-living. This is especially important for leaders who directly supervise roles with lower incomes (e.g. early career teachers, teaching assistants, trainees). Check-in with staff and, where appropriate, sensitively signpost to additional support. See my previous article about having conversations about poverty with staff (Harris, 2022).
  • Personal purchases: Create a policy and ensure staff understand that there is no expectation for them to buy resources. One school I know went as far as to state that teachers are not allowed to buy gifts for their class. It might seem excessive, but the school reported that staff felt supported.
  • Secret santa: Well-intentioned ideas such as secret santa add to the pressure for members of staff. Consider alternatives, such as staff doing random acts of kindness for each other or exchanging second-hand books to read over the Christmas period.
  • Christmas cards: How about a communal Christmas card in the staffroom which all colleagues can sign and read?
  • Shopping guide: Colleagues might appreciate a board in the staffroom with ideas and tips for finding bargains over the Christmas and winter period. This can include present tips as well as places to eat for free or low-cost or low-cost family activities. Invite staff to share their ideas and suggestions.

 

Focus groups and wider projects

Consider supporting colleagues in schools to better understand poverty-informed practice and approaches to tackling disadvantage. Focus groups and research reading groups can facilitate some excellent discussions between colleagues on this subject and support colleagues at all levels to do their bit to help the school tackle the consequences of poverty.

Elsewhere, can you dedicate time in leadership teams to scope and identify potential funding for ideas or projects in-school designed to alleviate the impact of poverty. For example, SHINE is a charity that supports schools in the North of England to design and implement projects that tackle educational disadvantage. The Let Teachers Shine campaign encourages teachers to apply for funding of up to £25,000 to trial ideas to support improved outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

 

Useful resources

Finally, here are a few more resources and tools to help schools “plan for poverty.

  • The Cost of the School Day Calendar: CPAG produces a free academic calendar which helps schools to identify possible cost barriers during the academic year and think about some alternatives to make sure all children and young people can fully participate in education. It includes ideas and good practice examples from UK schools.
  • Poverty Proofing the School Day: Launched 12 years ago by the charity Children North East, this initiative has now worked alongside hundreds of schools to help identify hidden costs and “poverty-proof” their school day.
  • Understanding doorstep disadvantage: I have written in SecEd previously about the importance of understanding poverty in our communities (see Harris, 2021).

 

  • Sean Harris is a doctoral researcher with Teesside University investigating the ways in which teachers and leaders can help to address educational inequality in schools. He is a trust improvement leader at Tees Valley Education, an all-through multi-academy trust serving communities in the North East of England. You can follow him on X (Twitter) @SeanHarris_NE. Find his previous articles and podcast appearances for Headteacher Update via www.headteacher-update.com/authors/sean-harris 

 

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