Child Poverty and Hungry Children: What’s to be done?

Of body, soul and mind, the education system’s concern with nourishing each probably runs in ascending order. However, as too many for comfort are finding, when the first is ill-nourished, the rest breaks down.Free School Meals: A Perk to StigmaSchools have always sought to produce healthy pupils. The correlation between education and food consumption is probably more pronounced in the early years, when all state school pupils receive milk, fruit and free school meals, as well as being introduced to the benefits of a healthy, balanced diet. By KS2, the connection has begun to fade. And by KS3, free school meals are more of a stigma than a perk, despite the good that can be done with pupil premium monies.Child Poverty and Food BanksAtthe start of this academic year, it was reported that more schoolsthan ever are setting up food banks to help feed their pupils’ families.The vast majority of these are primary schools. By nature, primary schoolsoffer more joined-up pastoral care, not least because contact with parents andcarers is considerably more frequent when pupils can’t take themselves to andfrom school. At secondary, the general assumption is that pupils can take careof themselves, and the fractured teaching schedule makes it easier for those inneed to slip under the radar.Whichis not to say that secondary school teachers don’t care. Of course we do. Butproviding much-needed nourishment to a hungry pupil is never as straightforwardas it should be. Any safeguarding or welfare concerns should, first andforemost, go through the official channels but, as well as notifying therelevant authorities, here are some pointers for individual teachers who wantto lend a helping hand.Payattention to pupils’ relationships with foodSweetsare central to most classroom incentivisation schemes and we’re not about tosuggest such sugary inducements be swapped for a more wholesome alternative –dangling a carrot in front of them works well metaphorically, considerably lessso literally. However, when such inducements are offered, take note of studentswhose engagement rises exponentially – their added engagement might be less todo with added sugar and more to do with genuine hunger pangs. Conversely, thosewho regularly refuse edible rewards could be on a health kick bordering onself-harm. Don’t jump to conclusions, but do be alert to patterns and potentialcries for help. Log any concerns and, if you have a positive relationship withthe pupil in question, find the opportunity to have a quiet word aboutwell-being.It’salso a sad fact that cries for help can be easily misinterpreted. Stealing fromthe canteen or from fellow pupils is instinctively sanctioned but beware ofwriting off as misbehaviour what could be the symptom of a much deeper malaise.In such cases, calls home can be highly informative.BreakfastclubTheysay it’s the most important meal of the day. Which makes the number of pupilswandering in late clutching an energy drink in lieu of a nutritious bowl ofcereal all the more alarming. Most schools run breakfast clubs but they areprimarily a means for working parents to deposit their offspring at theirschool grounds earlier than usual. Despite finding money for cans of sugarysynthetic caffeine, the pupils most in need of a good breakfast are highlyunlikely to arrive early and pay for it.Withbottom set GCSE classes – where such pupils are stereotypically but by no meansexclusively to be found – period one lessons can be a blessing. Laying onbreakfast for a whole class is neither cheap nor easy (milky cereals and baconbutties are basic no-noes for a multitude of reasons) but a simple fruitplatter (perhaps with the added allure of muffins, allowing iron and fibre tobe smuggled in in the guise of cakes) can be amazingly fruitful at improvingpunctuality and engagement.Ifform time comes first in your school day then feeding them all on a daily basisis unfortunately not financially viable on a teacher’s salary. However, as aform tutor you should have a better handle than anyone else on difficult homecircumstances so letting underprivileged students know that there is a “share”of your own breakfast to be had if they want to pop their head in a bit earlierthan others is a move that would hopefully be welcomed by all. Brunch clubduring break is also an opportunity to give them a cereal bar to refuel andboost brain power.Feedmind and soulAfter-schoolclubs and revision sessions can be a slog for the best of us. Sustenance isneeded. Since you can’t keep feeding everybody out of your own pocket, askabout wastage from catering providers or local grocery stories and whetherthere are leftovers or perishable produce that could be put to good use.Alternatively, Home Economics teachers can be superstars at rustling up somecheap grub. Allergies may be a concern but secondary school pupils should bewary enough to know what they can and can’t let pass their lips. Withfuel station sorted, you’re ready to feed both body and mind, although withafter-school sessions certain students will always need frogmarching throughthe door no matter how delectable the spread before them. It’s also the casethat teenagers generally resent being singled out in any way so it’s importantto tread carefully around disadvantaged children and not to make them feel likecharity cases. Which is where charity can come in handy… organising bake salesfor whatever good causes your pupils want to support not only nourishes theirsouls, it provides a tacit opportunity to serve the malnourished, who are morelikely to accept a little food parcel if they have had a hand in itspreparation.With luck, the only starving child you’ve encountered in a classroom is Oliver Twist, but what could be pejoratively described as Dickensian living conditions are sadly not confined to the past. We’re not trained social workers but teachers are increasingly on the front line when it comes to spotting social deprivation. Neither are we miracle workers but if there’s just one pupil for whom you manage to feed mind, body and soul then miracle worker should be your new job title.Subscribe to Beyond for access to thousands of secondary teaching resources. You can sign up for a free account here and take a look around at our free resources before you subscribe too.You might also want to read:Would You Like Chips With Your Pizza?

Beyond GCSE Revision

GCSE-grade revision from Beyond, powered by Twinkl

Tag: pupil premium

Child Poverty and Hungry Children: What’s to be done?

6 Signs That Exam Season Is Upon Us