Ellie Ames 03 December 2024

Children eligible for free school meals twice as likely to be absent

Children eligible for free school meals twice as likely to be absent image
Image: Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com

A think-tank has warned that the costs of going to school are a barrier to regular attendance for some children from low-income families.

Research by the Centre for Young Lives has revealed that both primary and secondary school pupils who are eligible for free school meals are more than twice as likely to be absent than their peers.

Researchers heard that the costs of travel, uniform, and food are more than some families can regularly afford, with ‘troubling’ stories about children missing school because their family could not afford the correct PE kit or bus fares twice a day.

But the report says there is no clear, single factor behind the link between poverty and school attendance.

It also warns that schools’ identification of children where family deprivation is the leading factor behind their non-attendance is often limited and uncoordinated.

Its recommendations include removing the two-child benefit cap; ensuring guidance says schools should consider poverty in relation to absence; and helping schools giving families financial relief in times of crisis.

The executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives, Anne Longfield, said: ‘The recommendations in this report have the potential to improve school attendance among children in poverty.

‘That includes putting more money in the pockets of families and bringing down the cost of school.

‘We also want to see stronger support for families, strategies from schools that recognise poverty, and better use of the Department for Education’s world-leading attendance data.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Chief Executive

Ebbsfleet Development Corporation
up to £165,000
Ebbsfleet is one of the UK’s most ambitious regeneration projects, a 21st-century Garden City Ebbsfleet, Kent
Recuriter: Ebbsfleet Development Corporation

Partnership Co-ordinator - Voluntary & Community

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth
£43,545 - £52,767
Partnership Co-ordinator - Voluntary & ... Wandsworth, London
Recuriter: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and London Borough of Wandsworth

Planning Support Officer

The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council
Up to £34359 per annum
Keep our planning service running smoothly, supporting the team that shapes the future of our borough.As a Planning Support Officer, you'll play a vit England, London, City of London
Recuriter: The Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Council

Change Communications Lead

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
£42,839-£48,226
Having come out of government intervention after two years in 2024 Sandwell, West Midlands
Recuriter: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Finance Officer - Debt Collection

Essex County Council
£25081.00 - £27653.00 per annum + + 26 Days Leave & Local Gov Pension
Finance Officer - Debt CollectionPermanent, Full Time£25,081 to £27,653 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council
Linkedin Banner