Affordable Schools
Providing an affordable for all place for pupils is important and can improve health and wellbeing and reduce stigma and bullying. Schools are in an ideal position to reduce costs for families, be it reducing the costs of trips, running a second-hand uniform bank, increasing the uptake of Free School Meals, etc.
- Reducing the costs of a school day is important because:
- There were 4.2 million children living in poverty in the UK in 2021-22.(1) That's 29% of children, or nine in a classroom of 30.(2)
- Children who have lived in poverty during their first seven years have cognitive development scores on average 20% below those of children who have never experienced poverty.
- 41% of children receiving free school meals obtained good English and Maths GCSE results, compared with 69% of other children.(3)
- Locally, in Swindon, the numbers of children living in relatively low income has risen from 6,743 in 2016/17 to 9,178 in 2021/22. The numbers of children living in absolute low in come has risen from 5,913 to 7,091 in 2021/22. This is higher than the South West average.(4) Definitions of relatively and absolutely low income are available on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation website.
This page offers resources for Swindon schools for providing affordable environments for all pupils.
Flyer for meeting on 6 February 2025
Presentation from the network meeting of 23 September 2024
Affordable Schools Network presentation
Recording and presentations from the network meeting of 23 May 2024
Affordable schools and cost of living update presentation
St Joseph's Catholic College case study presentation
Swindon Holiday Activities and Food Programme
Resources and guidance for schools
Swindon affordable primary schools checklist
Swindon affordable secondary schools checklist
Statutory Guidance: Cost of School Uniforms
Child Poverty Action Group: Free School Uniforms Guide
Child Poverty Action Group: Cost of the School Day Calendar and Resources
Child Poverty Action Group Further Resources and Support January 2024
School/colleges with pupil premium students who do not have footwear not suitable for everyday wear can contact Shoe Aid for support as they can provide footwear: https://www.shoeaid.co.uk/a-unique-charity/
Words that Count free financial workshops for secondary school pupils: www.swindonhealthyschools.org/news/items/free-financial-workshops-for-secondary-school-pupils
Talk Money Week, organised by the Money and Pensions Service takes place in November. Further information and resources for schools are available here: Talk Money Week for schools | Money and Pensions Service
Money and Pensions Service ‘Toolkit for Schools’ is likely to give you some ideas about what you can do in your schools- it contains some links to great resources, training and schemes that you could use in your schools.
Money and Pensions Services have a specific page for schools at Financial education in schools | Money and Pensions Service
Support and services for pupils and families
Free School Meals: Free school meals | Swindon Borough Council
Feeding Swindon Addressing the Cost of Living Padlet contains a directory of support available for families: Addressing the Cost of Living (padlet.com)
School Uniform Swap Shop (Swindon): Access the Group via Facebook here.
Healthy Start digital cards and vitamins for eligible families with younger siblings under 4: Get help to buy food and milk (Healthy Start)
Dressability is a charity providing a bespoke clothing adaptation service to students, parents and carers. To find out more or arrange a visit, call 01793 512878 or email mail@dressability.org.uk
Uniform Saver: starting the new year can be daunting for families, especially with the costs of uniforms and summer holidays. Acorn Community Bank’s Uniform Saver aims to help parents and carers to start saving early for school supplies shopping in September 2024. Save a fixed amount of £5 per month from February to July 2024, and they will add a £20 bonus on top of these savings. For more details, please visit Uniform Saver - Acorn Community Bank
Swindon Affordable Food Club Information and Posters
The Swindon Night Shelter, are providing local pantries enabling household to access to nutritious food for a fraction of what these items would cost at a supermarket (2/3 cheaper than the supermarket or
more!). They can pick up fresh fruit, vegetables, salad, bread, cake, chilled and a frozen item (depending on availability) for free. All they need to do is pay the six-month membership fee and enabling them to exchange cash for points if they would like to, for all the other subsidised items.
Please find below the following posters and leaflets for the following pantry points in Swindon:
Chippenham Close community centre, Chippenham Close, Penhill SN2 5DB
Penhill Pantry AFC Leaflet 2024
Penhill Pantry Food Poster 2024
Park North Village Hall, Lyndhurst Crescent, Park North, Swindon
SN3 2RW
The Haven, Queens Drive, Swindon SN3
Footnotes:
- 1 Households Below Average Income, Statistics on the number and percentage of people living in low income households for financial years 1994/95 to 2021/22, Table 1.4b. Department for Work and Pensions, 2023
- 2.Households Below Average Income, Statistics on the number and percentage of people living in low income households for financial years 1994/95 to 2021/22, Table 1.4a. Department for Work and Pensions, 2023
- 3.C Farquharson, S McNally and I Tahir, ‘Education inequalities’, IFS Deaton Review of Inequalities, 2022
- 4 DWP data (2023). Provided by LG Inform
