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

I have no idea why people are being 'wierd' about non uniform.

The primary school kids literally couldn't care less if you wear Asda or Nike, the only thing they might notice and get excited over is if you are Spiderman or Batman and Belle or Elsa.

Secondary school kids want to show their 'style' not expensive lables. At DS school 'emo' style is in (god our teen years are now 'retro') so its band tshirt's and jeans which is what they wear at home. Bands not Brands lol.

When I was in secondary I got bullied horrifically every day EXCEPT non uniform where people where actually curious about my style and asked questions and where quite nice... other kids went for themes like the huge pack of popular girls who came in in PJs with the sweetie baby dummies for some weird reason.

I agree. I know of children who'd stay off school on non uniform days because they didn't have anything they felt was good enough to wear. I also remember a girl wearing her mum's leggings that were too big for her. Non uniform days are loved by the children who are lucky enough not to have to worry about them.

Does the school give money to the teacher and TA so that they can buy each other flowers then?

I’m not sure I like that idea. School has better things to spend money on than flowers for staff and personally I liked teaching my own children to be grateful and show thanks to the people that look after them and educate them all day. Parents can choose to do that just with a hand made card if they want to. They aren’t obliged to spend money. It’s not the same if it comes from school.

I completely agree!

It is the school asking children to dress up that is a waste of money, home clothes is fine.

re snack, good that the school provides fruit but why forbid kids to bring in something else? Some children might not like fruit (sensory issue for ex) should they just be hungry? And before
people say they can’t go with a snack, have you seen the school dinner portions? Not enough IMO, especially for late primary children.

I have just posted the exact opposite, but I accept this might come from a place of privilege and am always open to changing my
mind - genuinely: wouldn’t every child have at least one decent outfit? If not what do they wear at the weekend / on holidays?
I’m talking supermarket jeans/tshirt for ex.
This is what I send my kids in for non-uniform days, not ‘nice’ clothes as they always get dirty at school.

Wouldn't it be worth schools seeing this for safeguarding purposes and intervention? I know schools are thinly stretched, but I would have thought there would be some pastoral support available to signpost parents to charities or community organisations that can provide clothing.

When my DDs did non uniform day, you took in a donation for charity. It’s not really about who wears what. I think teachers have a pretty good idea about DCs to keep an eye on. Wearing not great non uniform isn’t really a red flag. Other red flags might be present and should be noticed first.

Many of us have gone through school life not going on trips and not having the best sports gear etc. I’m now a firm believer that schools should not pare back to an extent that nothing happens outside the classroom and it’s all mundane. School trips and other events are very much worthwhile. Presents for teachers? Never bought them. However DDS always did a thank you card - good manners costs very little. Never took snacks in either. Never bought a Christmas jumper. Ever. DD1 dressed up for a Victorian School trip. Otherwise no dressing up. Costumes were cobbled together for school plays/nativities though.

Schools where parents are struggling should have a parents’ forum to discuss what schools might do, might ditch, and what some parents do want continued. Life at school cannot be totally pared back.

@smellslikesummer yes of course they have other clothes, but sometimes those other clothes are a bit tatty and not what they want to be seen in at school when other girls have been discussing and planning their outfits and are talking about being able to choose what to wear. The pressure amongst some girls (and it's always girls in my experience) can be immense. It's very sad. That's why I'm in full support of poverty proofing.

we have mufty days but quite a few wear their own clothes and dont donate , no one takes much notice if they do or dont as long as they are in school

If parents didn't have to be the exorbitant cost of school uniform they could easily afford a good 'non tatty' wardrobe for their kids.

Asda also sells character t-shirts for £3 (spiderman is spiderman regardless of if it cost £20 or £3) and charity shops even cheaper... us poor don't have our kids running around in tattered rags.

On average school uniform cost £230 per year. For something that can only really be worn for one purpose.

Uniform is the problem with wardrobe and cost of living not non uniform days.

The only issue I have here is snack. My oldest only started last week and hasn't yet been brave enough to go for snack, but his friend (mum friend of mine) has asked for snack and not been loud/forward enough to get some before the others eat it all! And sometimes it's a tomato 🍅 🤔 (free fruit and veg). Saying that, I keep sending a banana but it comes home every day... It's such a huge learning curve for independence.

If we stop things like this to make it a level playing field then where does it stop? Do we not do sports day so non-sporty kids don’t feel left out? Etc etc.

I was a poor, terrible at sports, nerdy kid so I know all about being left out or aware of my circumstances and tbh it gave me the drive to get myself out of the poverty cycle.

i don’t think school should be paired right back because we do need to teach them
that their are differences and alternatives in the world. That good fun stuff happens.

honestly, having cheap clothes was the least of my problems at school… no amount of poverty proofing will erase poverty. We all know who is poor and who is not.

Also in my kids school the more affluent kids dress way more frugal/cheap/hand me downs than the poor kids - because for the poor their is a stigma, when you are rich it’s a choice.

Poverty proofing should be a laundry service (this does happen in some schools in deprived areas), free or almost free second hand uniform sales, and making sure all children are fed.

Isn’t fruit funded?

Also, a sack of apples costs about a tenth of what 60 cake bars would cost.

I would like my primary school, and every other primary school in the country to offer every child a hot meal every day for free....

...just like all the children who go to primary school in London are getting.

www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-mayor-does/priorities-london/free-school-meals

Fruit is funded for KS1 only.

PJs sounds nice if you have decent (and appropriate) pyjamas which you don't mind being seen in public in. And it's probably ok if you're able to buy new pyjamas for the day so your child won't be embarrassed. But less inclusive if whatever your child sleeps in isn't appropriate for outside the house wear and you don't have the cash to buy something else. I'm not actually sure what you could wear as a substitute for PJs.

By not appropriate I don't just mean children who sleep in boxers or vest top and shorts pj sets but also things like PJs that are clean and well fitting but are slightly faded or feature a grown out of character.