Financial Inclusion
Cost of the School Day: Top Tips
Uniform
– Have a uniform swap shop/clothing bank
– Poverty Proof your uniform- does it have to be badged? Is it easily available from ‘cheaper’ high street stores?
– Gifting to P1s, P7s, S1 ties
– Support for Parents/Carers to complete School Clothing Grant application.
– Discourage ‘labels’ and dress down days.
– Regular communication to families about everything above.
Learning at School
– All learning resources provided by school.
– Subsidise curricular costs where possible in Secondary
Travel to School
– Walking Bus
– Travel costs on trips subsidised.
– Any event representing the school will have no costs.
– Find out and share info on grants/funding available.
– Rural areas – consider the cost of parents getting to and from events. Could anything be held in local communities?
School Clubs
– Free clubs offered.
– Subsidised places available where clubs have a cost.
– Free taster sessions.
– Monitor participation in clubs so that places can be targeted.
– Offer lunchtime clubs.
Fun Events
– Monitor amount of events planned across each school year and minimise those that cost.
– Share Cost of the School Day information with Parent Council and Parent Groups.
– Have events as donations optional rather than having compulsory set charges.
– Think carefully about non-uniform days/dress up days.
– Sponsorship from partners and local businesses
– 1 charge per family
Friendships
– Make clear links to Rights Respecting Schools, Pupil Voice and Respect Me – Culture, Ethos and Relationships.
– Be aware of the stigma that can exist around Poverty and Cost Barriers.
School Trips
– Ensure that families have plenty notice for trips that incur a charge.
– Facilitate payment schemes/paying in instalments/savings scheme
– Subsidise costs where possible/PEF funding for targeted families
– Look for grants/funds that you can apply for.
– Set a maximum amount for any trip. What about families with more than one child?
– Send letters about trips with costs in an envelope – this means the child can’t see and decide they can’t afford it before it reaches the parent.
– Consider the justification and planned learning for the trips – can it be done elsewhere/less cost?
– Audit the trips that’s are offered by school across school year, cohorts and year on year
Eating at School.
– Support families to apply for Free School Meals.
– Have food available in schools – breakfast clubs, toast, fruit.
– Consider your system for paying for meals – is it stigmatising?
Learning at Home
– Is homework designed so it doesn’t require internet/ICT/lots of resources?
– Could resources be sent home with homework?
– Homework clubs available in school.
– Share advice with Parents on supporting homework.
– Promote ideas for using the local community i.e. library, cheap/free swimming in holidays, local parks.
Through Young Eyes
The Council’s Youth Work Team supported a group of young people in Dumfries and Galloway to produce a short film, ‘Through Young Eyes’, that explores how young people in our region perceive poverty, and their own lived experiences of poverty.
Through Young Eyes is available here:
