A survey of more than 10,000 teachers in England, carried out by TeacherTapp on behalf of Fareshare, found that 28% of those asked had brought in food for pupils during the last term, an increase of 26% during the summer term in 2023.
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London’s free school meals drive
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Charities dig deep to help children and families below poverty line
In the most deprived areas figures increased by 5% compared with the previous year, with London and the North Worst among the worst affected.
The increase in the number of teachers providing food for pupils comes despite 35% of those asked saying that their school already provides food support for families, increasing to almost half in the most deprived areas.
FareShare works with the food industry to distribute meals that would otherwise go to waste to more than 8,000 different charities, including community groups that provide after school, holiday, and breakfast clubs for children.
The charity is urging the government to adopt a food redistribution policy as parts of its Where’s The Food campaign.
It calls on the government to provide a UK-wide plan that will see an end to charitable food aid and instead, address the economic and structural factors behind national poverty.
FareShare’s chief executive George Wright, said: “Even with increased support from the food industry since we last held this survey, teachers across the country still find themselves stepping in to feed hungry children highlighting a growing crisis. Meanwhile, millions of tonnes of perfectly edible food continue to go to waste every year.
“Our teachers should be focused on educating, not filling the gaps in food provision. We need the new government to collaborate with the food redistribution sector to ensure more nutritious food reaches people in need.”
