Addressing poverty with and through schools
Addressing poverty with and through schools
For a country that works for all children and young people
Our 2025 #ChildrenFirst campaign provides a series of toolkits designed to support schools, child health services and local authorities to implement expert recommendations and improve outcomes for all children.
In 2024, Child of the North and Centre for Young Lives initiated a major campaign calling on the government to build a country that works for all children and young people. This campaign delivered a series of reports and webinars on twelve key topics identified by Northern child health leaders as major issues of concern, including poverty, special educational needs, school attendance and mental health. These reports provide rigorous research and pragmatic, evidence-based recommendations.
First published in March 2024, the second report, An evidence-based plan for addressing poverty with and through schools set out a new plan to take the battle to reduce child poverty inside the school gates, and argues that schools and nurseries are anchors in the most deprived communities and they should play a leading role in those areas with the worst child poverty. With over four million children in the UK living in poverty – one million of them in the North of England – the report highlights the negative impact that poverty is having on many children’s education, health, and future employment.
An update Addressing poverty update: UK children dying through poverty released in September 2025, is the second update in our twelve-week #ChildrenFirst campaign, drawing attention back to the issues highlighted in the series, and providing a series of toolkits designed to support schools, child health services and local authorities to implement the report recommendations and improve outcomes for all children.
We need the government, policymakers, practitioners, academics, communities and young people to work together to build a country that works for all children and young people.
Support our 2025 #ChildrenFirst campaign, by sharing the resources below:
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Addressing poverty update: UK children dying through povertyPublished September 2025 The second update in our #ChildrenFirst campaign reveals that the crisis is not only unresolved but worsening, and calls for:
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An evidence-based plan for addressing poverty with and through schoolsPublished March 2024 Our analysis highlights the negative impact that poverty is having on many children’s education:
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How To Guides
A series of toolkits have been developed to help practitioners and organisations take practical steps to improve the health and wellbeing of the children and young people with whom they work directly. Building on the findings of the Child of the North reports, these ‘How To’ guides provide evidence and suggestions about how all parties can work together.
Webinar
In March 2024 a number of the report’s authors came together to discuss their findings and to answer questions from the online audience, you can view the YouTube recording below.
Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said:
“Intervening within the school gates to target the most vulnerable children to make sure they are provided with the support they need with pastoral support, family workers, educational psychologists, youth workers, breakfast and after school clubs, enrichment activities and holiday play schemes, can make such a difference to breaking down barriers and inequalities.
“Child poverty has become the elephant in the room in Westminster. Both parties have an opportunity at the forthcoming election to look at measures to tackle the root causes that are holding so many children back in their education. Free school meals should be a long-term ambition for all schools, but we should start by targeting individual schools in local areas with the most disadvantaged children and young people.
“The evidence is clear that investment in the UK’s education system is being squandered because the effects of poverty are not being addressed as an integral part of educational provision. Schools should no longer have to use sticking plaster solutions to tackle poverty.”
Professor Mark Mon Williams, Child of the North report series editor, said:
“Education is the most powerful tool available to a nation that wishes to invest in its future. Poverty is eroding the life chances of millions of children in the UK and fueling inequity and economic stagnation. There is hope for the UK’s future, but it requires immediate investment in the eradication of child poverty and the removal of poverty related barriers to education. The weight of scientific evidence shows we must act and work with and through educational establishments to give every child the best possible start in life.”
Dr Charmele Ayadurai, Assistant Professor of Finance at Durham University and report Lead Author, said:
“Despite the UK being one of the wealthiest economies in the world, with favourable economic conditions and rising wealth associated with the years between 2012 and 2021, this has worryingly not been translated into reductions in child poverty.
“The report makes it clear that we need to start prioritising children by promoting an equal life chance from all aspects. It is not enough to raise children’s aspirations through education alone without poverty proofing schools, narrowing the gaps in attainment, or by allowing children to sleep in a cold bedroom or study on an empty stomach. Our children are the hope for the future, let there be light.”
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Previous Reports
Previous reports can be found archived on our Child of the North Reports page.
Contact Us
Stephen Parkinson, Research Partnership Manager
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