CYP Now - Teachers report ‘shocking’ rise in hunger among disadvantaged pupils

Almost six in 10 teachers at state schools in England's most disadvantaged areas have reported an increase in children, who are not eligible for free school meals, going hungry, new research finds.

Teachers are reporting increasing numbers of parents asking for food bank referrals. Picture: AdobeStock

In a snap poll of 6,200 teachers, undertaken by Teacher Tapp for the Sutton Trust, at the end of November, researchers found that more than half of teachers in state-funded schools reported a rise in the number of pupils ineligible for free school meals who were unable to afford lunch during the autumn term. This rose to 59 per cent in the most deprived schools.

The report, which looks at how the wider financial pressures of the cost-of-living crisis is impacting children in the classroom, finds “shocking” numbers of hungry, cold and tired pupils, with those in the most deprived schools being hit the hardest.

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