Are any of your DC's schools 'poverty proofing'

[TellerTuesday]

If so what changes have been made and what are your thoughts as a parent of those changes?

DC's school (& the wider academy trust) have been working with a children's charity and have put a new poverty prepping strategy in place.

Most notable changes are:
• no snacks to be brought in to school
• no non uniform days
• no gifts for teachers (Xmas, end of year etc)
• no cakes / sweets to be brought in to celebrate a child's birthday

@TantalisingCantaloupe That sounds fantastic, but how does the school manage to afford it?

I think all schools should be trying more to support children living with financial difficulties

That’s fine if you mean schools stopping doing things that parents have to send money in for but remember that schools are in financial difficulties, too!

We give our KS1 pupils fruit because it’s funded. We could not afford to pay for all of KS2 to have it every day as well.

I remember when I was in primary school in the 90s we had mufti days maybe 3 times a year. We weren't a well off family (my mum was a single parent with no help from family or our father) but she did her best. We had clothes etc but only really one outfit "nice" enough to wear to school instead of uniform. I remember one of the girls saying to me "you always wear that" when I wore the same nice outfit to mufti day for maybe the 3rd time in a row, we were in about year 5 I think so only 9 or 10 years old.

That comment has always stayed with me for some reason and I remember hating mufti days after that.

Thank you all for the comments, some interesting views.

Our school on a whole had a lot of things in place to support disadvantaged pupils already. For example there is a sharing room for donations where parents pass on clothes, books, long life groceries etc and people are free to take what they want. All Christmas jumpers, CIN, WBD costumes etc are encouraged to be donated after the event and then can be reused by another child the following year.

There are parts of the new strategy I agree with but some that I strongly oppose. My personal view is that this new strategy has been a missed opportunity for inclusivity and rather than levelling up for all pupils it has been a case of rule by lowest common denominator.

The thing with non uniform day/fancy dress/jumper day while fun for those that have money for clothes or interest in world book day.

What about those children in poverty who have old clothes, maybe handed down several times. No brands, no labels, just scruffy. Parents that don’t buy/make something for them, those that don’t give a shit about world book day and ignore it all. How those kids feel in school? They probably don’t feel it’s much fun.

The teacher giving has gotten ridiculous and competitive so I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’m sure the thought is appreciated but most members of staff would appreciate a card from the child. In the NHS we have to declare gifts of a certain cost too. I really liked the food bank idea.

I don’t think it is a question of not costing anything more like what the non uniform clothing is. For example Nike etc or Primark.

Again as a child who grew up in poverty I don't think every child should miss out because some parents can't afford it, I do believe there should be adaptions made and alternatives so that they don't feel like crap though. Generally other children know who the 'povvos' are (only using that word as that's what I spent my school life being called) anyway. Not that we should seek to exasperate that, but it's naieve to assume no one knows otherwise and that these things that suck the joy out for many actually make much difference to others. It's okay to be in a family with money just as its okay to have fun.

I think mufti day shouldn’t be banned. Most kids at my daughters school don’t dress up at all and the £1 is not enforced.

This is my thinking too @Ricewhispies unless school mandate trainers/shoes, bags and coats etc then it really makes no difference who brings a Belvita in for snack time so some parts really seem OTT.

Honestly so many kids are wearing Primark (with or without Nike) that it isn't an issue. Most of them wear a t shirt with leggings or jogging bottoms - they just enjoy not wearing uniform for one day.

Yes, I did mean stopping things parents pay for - Christmas jumper day for example could be done far differently but proactively - I like the PP example of white t-shirts being decorated in school, we didn’t have anything like as many “days” when we were at school…and no-uniform was once a year and only secondary.
But also, schools choose what to concentrate on: we fundraiser at ours to provide swimming lessons for all, all year, as surrounded by water. We also ask for food bank donations rather than gifts etc.

I'm not bothered either way but the mufti day thing confuses me.

I generally think head to toe designer stuff is fairly trashy and so not wearing it isn't something to be judged for.

My DCs have always worn mostly supermarket clothes and Clarke's shoes and never been judged for it, and DD quietly mocks the overdressed kids as she thinks they look silly.

I would definitely be on board with getting rid of themed days though, unless they are extremely low key.

My DC's school have changed it from Christmas jumper day to a very casual some sort of multicultural winter holiday day, so a bit of tinsel or coloured socks are fine, donation if you can.

“DD quietly mocks the overdressed kids as she thinks they look silly. “

Surely this is just as bad as mocking kids for wearing cheap/old clothes?

And world book day.. the fucking ridiculous expense and effort. They should just bring a book in and do art/drama/discussions around thr book.

Disgusting

This is brilliant.

Honestly that's brilliant

I think this is a great idea, but it wouldn't wash in my youngest school (primary). we live on the border of a very well-off area and an area where there are many struggling. My child is, in essence, one of the poor kids.

Some of the mums with money ignore a lot of things that are put into place, eg, no named clothing, same school bag for everyone, the no gift for teachers, and bring in elaborate expensive items.

Likewise, they ignore the uniform policy, and they kids are wearing expensive trainers/tracksuits/bags, even the water bottles are a ridiculous price for p.e, when they are told it should be pumps. Each to its own i suppose, but it would be very much ignored in our school. We had one mum go mad over the no nuts policy as her dd wanted a certain cereal bar and would starve if she never had her prefered snack. Literally, this could kill another child, but she was going mad. Just give her an apple.

Kudos for your school for doing something tho.

@Goshdarnitgoofy she mocks them quietly to me, not to their faces.

She is also amused by the bright orange girls plastered in make up but again doesn't say anything to them, just had a bit of a confused rant at home.

My kids school already does a lot, but we are in a low income area. They take their own snacks as they aren't technically provided, but I'm aware that kids who don't bring one are given fruit etc so they don't have to go hungry. There is a large uptake of free school meals so no stigma.

They have always been really good about not having loads of dress up days. Uniform is flexible and swaps/donations are encouraged rather than buying new uniforms. We usually do nice cards rather than gifts for teachers and there is only a collection for things like retirement of very long term staff members. This is always done anonymously.

Our school do a lot to support families in poverty - free/cheap uniform, don't insist on branded/ low-cost dress-up days/spares for those that don't have them/free breakfast etc. They also wrote to parents ahead of Christmas last year emphasising that gifts for teachers aren't expected.

I think this is a better approach than just targeting to the lowest common denominator which risks families with more avoiding the school for one that does have the fun extras.

It just sounds all so joyless. The children love non-uniform day. It’s a bright spot in the term.
All these things are optional. You don’t have to send snacks or money or teacher gifts. I’d be pissed off as a parent if school started banning all these things.

Depends on where the school is and the demographic. I know in some areas these things would be very welcome.

Great idea. As a child who grew up in poverty, non school uniform days terrified me as a teenager, i would be in tears.

There is plenty of joy and fun to be found outside of a non school uniform or a shop brought birthday cake.

Ours now does the world book day PJs thing... its so much better.

Not only do I forget every year until the last minute but costumes can be expensive and my kids never 'look' like any characters in the books they actually read... always just an impossible task.

PJs and a teddy... every kid owns them and its quick and easy.