This research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation and conducted in collaboration with ASK Research aims to explore how the cost of living is affecting schools.
The cost of living has been rising sharply across England since 2021, including unprecedented increases in energy costs, rapid increases in the costs of food and significant increases in the costs of housing via higher rents/mortgage costs.
Drawing on online surveys of over 2700 teachers and senior leaders in April and May 2023 in mainstream and special schools, this research aims to explore how the cost of living is affecting schools in a series of three reports which establish:
- What impact do teachers and senior leaders report cost-of-living pressures are having on pupils and their households?
- How has provision in schools been affected by cost-of-living increases?
- What impact have cost-of-living increases had on school staff?
This report is focused on what impact teachers and senior leaders report cost-of-living pressures are having on pupils and their families.
It highlights how cost-of-living pressures have increased both the number of pupils requiring additional support and the level of need among these pupils, including well-being and mental health needs among pupils.