North West sees biggest rise in teachers bringing food for hungry pupils, poll reveals

As most schools in our region prepare to go back after the summer break ITV Granada Reports reporter Tim Scott spoke to those affected

The North West has seen the biggest increase in teachers bringing in food for pupils, a survey suggests.

The poll commissioned by the charity FareShare found that nearly three in 10 teachers in England personally provided food to pupils in the summer term out of concern for their welfare.

It also revealed more than a third (34%) of teachers in the North West of England provided food to young people during the summer term, up on 29% on the previous year.

Glyn Potts, head teacher at St John Henry Newman College in Oldham, said he has had first-hand experience of "teachers and non-teaching support staff taking things from their own homes to feed young people".

He added that he is "not surprised" by the recent statistics and believes children need "more support".

"It's not a surprise that teachers and non-teaching support staff are taking things from their own homes to feed young people," he said.

"It's a great shame that as a country we are facing these issues with young people having to manage in these dire circumstances and where there isn't enough being done to support them."

Mr Potts believes the way to combat food poverty in schools is to provide "primary school children with universal free school meals for all children".

He continued: "And then we can consider if that can be costed into the secondary school sector as well.

"A lot of young people are coming into school hungry in the morning, they're then relying on their dinner at school and they're not really getting any sustenance in the evening and that must be a really difficult thing for them to do."

He added: "We know that children in the North West, children coming to school, their attainment in the North West and London is significantly different and that may well be because of the funding and of the crisis of deprivation."

"These young people have faced real challenges and we should be making sure that they have got the same opportunity and the exposure to happiness and hope that every generation has had and that's something that we has the adults have got to do."

FareShare, a charity which tackles hunger and food waste, is calling on the Government to address the “growing crisis” and ensure that children get the nourishment they need to thrive in school.

The survey, of around 10,000 teachers in England on 1 August, found 36% of teachers working in the more deprived areas reported handing out food to pupils compared with 23% in the more affluent areas.

George Wright, Chief Executive at FareShare, said: “Even with increased support from the food industry since we last held this survey, teachers across the country still find themselves stepping in to feed hungry children highlighting a growing crisis.”

He added: “Our teachers should be focused on educating, not filling the gaps in food provision.

“We need the new Government to collaborate with the food redistribution sector to ensure more nutritious food reaches people in need.”

Becky Stone previously used Warrington Foodbank to support herself and her two children.

“When I walked through the doors, I was absolutely in tears with a young child and my daughter who was little bit older," she said.

“But when you get in, they were friendly and understanding and since then I have always wanted to give back [to Warrington Foodbank].

“If it wasn’t for somewhere like this five years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to find my feet.”

Ms Stone added: “I think it’s sad that teachers have to do that [bring in food for pupils].

“You don’t want a child worrying about where their next meal is going to come from.”

A Government spokesperson said: “We understand the pressures households are facing, and that is why we are taking action to deliver our mission of breaking down barriers to opportunity and improving the life chances of every child.

“We will develop an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty, led by a taskforce co-chaired by the Education Secretary and Work and Pensions Secretary, and looking at how to increase household income, bring down essential costs, and tackle the negative experience of living in poverty.

“This comes alongside plans to roll out free breakfast clubs in every primary school so children start the day ready to learn, and turning the minimum wage into a real living wage to make work pay.”

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