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March 2023 - Education

Three-quarters of schools surveyed report increases in pupils not able to pay for school trips: A survey of schools has revealed the extent of the impact of the cost of living crisis on students, with three-quarters (75%) reporting increases over the last six months of pupils being unable to pay for school trips, while 70% reported an increase in the number of pupils not buying or replacing school uniform or sports kit due to cost.

The latest School and College Panel survey was conducted in November 2022 by the Department for Education, with the purpose of engaging school and college leaders on a range of topics including mental health, funding and employee pay.

Findings in the report are based on responses from 1,447 school leaders, 35 college leaders, 1,938 classroom teachers and 93 college teachers.

Impact of rising cost of living

Schools were asked about the areas in which they had seen students impacted by the rising cost of living relating to their school experience.  Almost six in 10 (57%) said they had seen an increase in the number of students who had applied for Free School Meals.  In addition, just over half (53%) said they had seen an increase in families not being able to buy sufficient clothing such as winter coats or shoes, while 30% said they have seen an increase in the numbers struggling with the costs of getting to and from school.

Breaking down the data further, the research found that more secondary school pupils struggled with the costs of travelling than primary (50% vs. 26%), with a higher proportion of secondary pupils being unable to buy all the books they need (44%) compared to primary students (17%).

Colleges and cost of living impact

Looking at colleges, the research found that 81% of institutions polled have reported students missing lessons or attending less frequently so they can undertake part-time work, with more than eight in 10 also reporting seeing a rise in students who have experienced difficulties with the costs of getting to their lessons (84%).

More than half the colleges polled (56%) reported that more students were arriving at college hungry since the last survey, with just 6% saying the number had reduced and more than a quarter (28%) saying it had stayed the same.

Looking to the future at challenges they expect to face, 97% said they expect to face mental health concerns amongst students and parents, followed by a lack of funding for the college (94%), pay freezes or inadequate pay for employees (91%) and increased energy bills (91%) -- all due to the cost of living crisis.

Other concerns highlighted by the research included mental health concerns for staff, staff leaving the profession and increased food poverty for students.

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