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For use with KS2 - help schools cut costs for families

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Empowering Families - Price of Pupil Poverty Case Study  - Welshpool Primary

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How to ....5 simple steps to implement the guides 

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How to ....5 simple steps to implement the guides 

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Use, Consider, Identify, Apply, Evaluate

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Children In Wales 5th Annual Child Poverty Survey

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Children In Wales 5th Annual Child Poverty Survey

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1. Home

2. News

3. Children in Wales Annual Child and Family Poverty Survey Report Launched

Today Children in Wales launched the report on the findings from our 5 th Annual Child and Family Poverty surveys. The findings are bleak and unacceptable. The surveys sought to understand more about the current issues children, young people and families are facing, the impact this has and importantly, to hear the views of children and young people themselves. The experiences and observations of practitioners and professionals working with over 33,000 families show that the poverty situation is deteriorating for children, young people and families. Families are struggling to cope and are facing financial challenges on a daily basis. In the survey, respondents identified an increase in debt levels, hunger, stress and anxiety. Children and young people themselves stated poverty related bullying and poor emotional health as major issues.

Karen McFarlane, Policy Officer for Poverty and author of the report said:

"The poverty surveys are now in their 5th year and although some of the specific issues differ over the years, very little has changed over this five year period. This is not acceptable. For many children, young people and families living in poverty, they face challenges on a daily basis. Whether that is a decision between buying food or school uniforms, paying for rent or electric, these are real decisions that practitioners see families experiencing on a regular basis. This can also directly affect children and young people themselves and throughout the survey, they highlighted being anxious, worried or stressed by this, often being unable to concentrate at school."

There were many poverty related issues covered in the survey, including the temporary Universal Credit uplift. We asked practitioners if they believed the temporary £20 had benefitted the families they work with and a large proportion stated that it had. They found that the increase has resulted in children having more food, helped to reduce financial stress and helped to reduce the likelihood of them sinking further into debt. However, they were concerned that when the uplift finished they would see a greater use of food banks, more families in debt, more children being hungry and more children struggling at school

Karen McFarlane commented;
"The temporary uplift of Universal Credit has been a lifeline for many children and their families. The survey results show that For further information about the report and its findings, please contact Karen.McFarlane@childreninwales.org.uk for lots of families it has made the difference between putting food on the table or not, although still not always meeting the needs of housing costs, utilities and food. The removal of the uplift will put more families into crisis and this inevitably have an enormous impact on the lives and opportunities of children and young people."

University entrance

There has been a 2.6% rise in young people from Wales enrolling at UK universities and a 9.2% increase in postgraduates from Wales say figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Read now

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Children in Wales Annual Child and Family Poverty Survey Report Launched

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Home News Children in Wales Annual Child and Family Poverty Survey Report Launched Today Children in Wales launched the report on the findings from our 5 th Annual Child and Family Poverty surveys. The findings are bleak and unacceptable.

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Supporting Children's Learning

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Talking About Poverty

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Period Friendly School

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Become a period friendly school woth certificate

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Minister announcement & using Price of Pupil Poverty Guides

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Speaking on a visit to Cardiff primary school Ysgol Glan Morfa, the Minister confirmed that funding for Wales's Pupil Development Grant Access scheme would be doubled to cover additional years in 2020/21 and that the grant's terms would be extended to allow the purchasing of laptops and tablets in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding of £10.3m - an increase from £5.1m in 2019/20 - will allow the Welsh Government to extend the scheme to provide support for those in years 1, 5, 8, 9 and 11, at a rate of £125 per learner.

Introduced in 2018, PDG-Access helps families cover the costs of school uniforms and sports kits, as well as equipment for activities outside of the school, including sports clubs and trips for outdoor learning.

It is funding that goes directly to the families who need it most to help with some of the costs of the school day.

To complement the scheme, the Welsh Government commissioned Children in Wales to produce a set of guides for schools covering key aspects of the cost of the school day. The guides focus on opportunities to change culture in schools around disadvantage and provide strategies for addressing particular challenges around the cost of the school day. The Price of Pupil Poverty guides are available on the Welsh Government website and encourage their use in schools and settings.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams said:

I believe strongly in the importance of the Pupil Development Grant as it is crucial to delivering the future success of our learners.

As I have set out in 'Our National Mission', I want Wales to have strong and inclusive schools committed to excellence, equity and well-being; a system there to support our most disadvantaged learners.

We know that the cost of the school day is an important issues to many families in Wales. I am delighted that we have been able to extend the policy to provide support to other year groups and also to allow families to purchase laptops and tablets which will support remote learning in these unprecedented times.

Schools in Wales are already well provisioned, with access to digital services and infrastructure through the Hwb EdTech programme, with more than 130,000 end-user devices distributed to schools.

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Education Minister Kirsty Williams doubles funding to support Wales' most disadvantaged learners with £10m package | GOV.WALES

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More than £10m will be made available to extend a Welsh Government programme that provides support to the most disadvantaged learners in Wales, Education Minister Kirsty Williams confirmed today.

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CIW can develop and deliver bespoke training around the guides and your action plan to help raise awareness and develop a whole school ethos

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Children whose families are on lower incomes and qualify for certain benefits can apply for a grant of:

£125 per learner

£200 for learners entering year 7 (to help with increased costs associated with starting secondary school)

All compulsory school years from reception to year 11 are now eligible.

All looked after children qualify for the grant, whether they receive free school meals or not. Learners who receive free school meals due to transitional protection arrangements do not qualify.

Families are only entitled to claim once per child, per school year.

The 2023 to 2024 scheme is now open and will close on 31 May 2024.

To apply for this grant please contact your local authority.

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Funding to buy school uniform, equipment, sports kit and kit for activities outside of school for your child.

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Development grants and looked after children

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The Discretionary Assistance Fund provides 2 types of grant that you do not need to pay back.

Emergency Assistance Payment (EAP)

A grant to help pay for essential costs, such as food, gas, electricity, clothing or emergency travel if you:

are experiencing extreme financial hardship

have lost your job

have applied for benefits and are waiting for your first payment

You cannot use it to pay for ongoing bills that you cannot afford to pay.

Individual Assistance Payment (IAP)

A grant to help you or someone you care for live independently in their home or a property that you or they are moving into.

What you can use the grant for

Use the grant to pay for:

a fridge, cooker or washing machine and other 'white goods'

home furniture such as beds, sofas and chairs

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The Discretionary Assistance Fund provides 2 types of grant that you do not need to pay back.

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Check if your child can get free school meals and find out how to apply on your local authority's website.

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Free school meal guidance by Local Authority: 

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Free school meal guidance by Local Authority: 

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Allows parents/carers to check how to continue to receive free school meals by searching either their postcode or Local Authority

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Check if your child can get free school meals and find out how to apply on your local authority's website.

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A summary of each of the 5 key themes within the guide

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Understanding Poverty

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School Uniform & Clothing

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Food & Hunger

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Participation in the Life of the School

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Info Sheet 4 Participation in the Life of the School

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Home-School Relationship

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The different experiences for pupils

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Getting staff to understand why its important

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Take a look at the original guides that outline the key issues, the impact on pupils and provides solutions

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What you can do to continue helping those pupils from low income and disadvantaged families during schools closure and Covid-19

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Beth allwch chi ei wneud i barhau i helpu disgyblion o deuleuoedd incwm isaf a theuleuoedd dan arfartais y ystod cyfnod cau ysgolion a covid -19

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For use with KS3/KS4 - help schools cut costs for families

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Effective school support for disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils en