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721931524765000Free & fair learning For a school setting to be fully fair and accessible to all families, regardless of their income, there should be no extra cost attached to any part of the school day, including extracurricular activities and events. As a school it is worth considering every part of the school day that can put pressure on low-income families and make them feel excluded. Missing out because of financial barriers and feeling different makes it harder for children and young people to learn, achieve and be happy and healthy at school.Child poverty is increasing, in Doncaster 32% of children are living in poverty, that’s about 10 children in a class of 30. Education settings may feel that there are challenges in relation to supporting families, however, schools that have established programmes of support can find that the benefits are not only for families, but also for the school. ?Work is taking place in many areas across the country and there are numerous examples of good practice where schools have experienced the benefits of becoming fairer and more inclusive for all families.To help you begin we suggest taking a few simple steps; ?Start the conversation : Raise awareness amongst staff of the impact of school costs on families, develop a working group.Gather information : Below are a set of questions broken down into themes to act as a starting point to consider the cost of the school day for your pupils. Consider the information : Look at the information you’ve gathered, decide what the main issues and priorities are, and consider realistic opportunities you have to act. Take action :?Identify actions to take forward and work out a plan. Remember even small changes can really make a difference to your families. The resources in this pack will provide you with lots of practical ideas and inspiration. If you would like to apply for a Healthy Learning, Healthy Lives Enhanced Award in this area, please contact the Healthy Learning, Healthy Lives team: healthylearning@.uk who will support you with developing your plans and including evidence to support your submission. To begin…(These 4 questions are taken from the Child Poverty Action Group ‘Cost of The School Day’ Toolkit)Strongly AgreeAgreeNot sure DisagreeStrongly DisagreeComments I am aware that there is poverty in my schoolWe have families who struggle to pay for what is needed at schoolWe do everything we can to tackle poverty in our schoolAll children, regardless of how much money they have, are able to access exactly the same opportunities here UniformStrongly AgreeAgreeNot sure DisagreeStrongly DisagreeComments Our uniform is cheap and accessible for all familiesConsider the following: Does the uniform need a logo or badge? If so can parents use iron/sew on badges?How many items require the logo/badge? (blazer, sweaters, polo shirts, trousers, bag etc.)Do items that are part of the uniform have to be a certain brand or design? Is it possible to purchase an acceptable uniform from more than one supplier, does this include the option of purchasing uniform items from a supermarket or a high street store?How often do pupils require different items as part of the uniform? (for example different coloured ties/shirts, different types of shoes to be worn inside and outdoors)Are other items (e.g. specific school/PE bags) a requirement?Does the school have a uniform or set requirement for PE kits? If so, are all items strictly necessary and is consideration given to how often they will be used within PE lessons? Does the school subside uniforms for low-income households / provide or participate in uniform swaps / make good second hand uniforms available?Travelling to schoolStrongly AgreeAgreeNot sure DisagreeStrongly DisagreeComments There are free/affordable methods for children and families to travel to school Consider the following:Are families encouraged to actively travel to school? Does the school take up free opportunities to encourage active travel such as the active travel officers and bikeability training where appropriate?Do you provide any school transport and is it affordable?Do you encourage parents to get together to take their children to and from school? Do you direct families to cheaper ways to travel, such as bus passes or discounts?Do you operate a walking bus or cycle to school scheme?Eating at schoolStrongly AgreeAgreeNot sure DisagreeStrongly DisagreeComments Children can access food at school that enables them to make the very most of their potentialConsider the following:Do you provide a free or subsidised breakfast club? Are parents supported to apply for free school meals and how is this promoted? Are children who receive free school meals identifiable in any way?Do your free school meals provide a healthy, balanced meal? Do you provide free water and free water bottles? Do children have to buy any additional food if they take part in any additional activities? Do you have a snack shop or any other places to purchase food- is the food on sale affordable?Do you have a school allotment or veg plot that can subsidise food or is/can be used as a ‘cheap shop’ for school families to buy from?Does the school food policy state that parents do not bring in cakes/sweets for children’s birthdays?Learning: Strongly AgreeAgreeNot sure DisagreeStrongly DisagreeComments Children are able to participate in and complete all learning activities, without additional cost to familiesConsider the following:Are families expected to purchase equipment or materials for learning or is this all provided by the school? Are children expected to provide the ingredients for any cookery activities?Do you expect families to have a computer or internet access at home in order for the child to complete homework and if they do not have this are they supported to do this elsewhere?School trips Strongly AgreeAgreeNot sure DisagreeStrongly DisagreeComments Opportunities and experiences that are offered to children do not place pressure on low income familiesConsider the following:Are school trips related to the curriculum free?Are extra-curricular trips necessary and affordable for all families? Is equipment and any related costs related to residential trips provided by the school? What system is in place to provide subsidies to pupils and what effect might this have on them?How are trips spaced out across the year?Are families able to spread the cost for more expensive trips?Is there a system of voluntary contributions for some trips, but inclusive of all children no matter the contribution?School clubs and activitiesStrongly AgreeAgreeNot sure DisagreeStrongly DisagreeComments Cost is not a barrier for children to take part in school clubs and activitiesConsider the following:Are all school clubs and activities free? Is equipment and transport provided by the school?Do families have to buy additional clothing such as waterproofs or sporting equipment or keep spares at school?If there is a cost how do you ensure that the activities are accessible to all children?Does the school offer peripatetic music activities? If so, how are low-income pupils supported to take part in peripatetic music activities?Fun events and fundraisingStrongly AgreeAgreeNot sure DisagreeStrongly DisagreeComments Fun events are designed so that everyone is involved and nobody feels left out because of costs.Consider the following:Are all fun and seasonal events free and necessary? How are fun events spaced out across the school year and how much notice is provided?Are additional costs for transport and food considered when planning events?Do any of these events include paying to take part or involve buying equipment or costumes? What happens when young people want to take part in events but don’t have the money?Do fundraising events put any pressure on the budgets of your families?Does the school have a prom (or other similar events)? If so, for which school years? Are any guidelines provided to help minimise the costs for families? (for example not allowing ‘luxury cars’)Approach and cultureStrongly AgreeAgreeNot sure DisagreeStrongly DisagreeComments The school considers being inclusive in all elements of policy and practice with a ‘no-shame’ approach for low-income families.Consider the following:Do teachers/the school actively encourage no bought gifts for celebrations or as an end of term thank you? (alternatives such as handmade cards could be encouraged instead)What systems are used for collecting any payments?How is late or non-payment dealt with? Are children ever identified or penalised for late or non-payment?How much do staff know about poverty, its impact and the local context?Have children and young people had the opportunity to discuss issues surrounding poverty and how it affects them?In general, how are parents told about financial support available to them?Does the school promote free/low cost/healthy activities in school holidays within the local area?Resources The Cost of the School Day Toolkit – Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) ScotlandDesigned to get everyone talking about The Cost of the School Day. ?The toolkit helps?guide schools through the process of making changes, from discussing the issues around school costs, to finding approaches and projects which suit your school. Every school is unique, so this toolkit helps you to develop a unique plan, to make a difference to children and young people in your area. Children’s Society: Leave Poverty at the School Gate‘What young people think schools should do’ – a booklet with research carried out with and by young people, includes recommendations for schools to implement. Child Poverty: the role of school librarians A blog post by the Child Poverty Action Group on ways that school libraries can provide support to children and families on low incomes. What Cost: Exposing the impact of poverty on school life?The Children's Commission on Poverty, led by children, considers how the costs of school affect children living in poverty. The executive summary of the report includes the young commissioners’ findings and recommendations for change. ................
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