If we want to equalise opportunities for young people, we must act now to implement a strategic approach to school support.
Schools provide more than education; they offer food, warmth, and safety for many children. However, cuts to early years programmes, after-school clubs, and holiday schemes have stripped families of vital support, increasing the risk of hunger, neglect, and harm. The importance of school as a place of safety and stability is particularly apparent during school holidays, with many families struggling to feed their children even one hot meal a day.
While suggestions of shortening school holidays to help better support children have long been made – most recently by Ofsted chief Sir Martyn Oliver – this will have minimal effect if not paired with a structured and well-funded support system.
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