CYP Now - Support beyond the classroom

In the run up to the Spring Statement, the chancellor proposed billions in spending cuts to welfare and other departments, raising concerns about the possible impact on families and young people when they are still struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and previous cuts to support services.

Paul O'Rourke is managing director of Next Stage

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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