Challenges outside school gates impacting nine pupils in every class

Action for Children commissioned a survey of over 7,000 teachers across England who reported 37% of their pupils – equivalent to 3.3 million schoolchildren or nine pupils in an average class of 25 – faced barriers to their education.

The most common were:

• Living in an unstable family environment (66%);
• Behavioural or emotional issues (64%);
• Mental health challenges (53%);
• School refusal or poor attendance (45%).

When asked about the attainment levels of their students experiencing these challenges, just 2% of teachers polled believed they will reach their expected grades by the end of the academic year.

The survey also found teachers in more deprived areas are nearly five times more likely to report that at least half of their students face barriers because of issues outside school, compared with teachers in schools in the least deprived areas (55% vs 12%). Poverty itself was also a significant barrier to education identified by teachers working in the most deprived areas (66% compared to 23% in the least deprived areas).

Interviews with teachers conducted by Action for Children as part of the research also revealed many teachers were finding themselves the ‘first port of call’ for parents who don’t know where else to get help.

Despite grappling with dwindling resources, expanding workloads and an increase in children’s needs, teachers reported they were increasingly having to go beyond their remit and step in to provide emotional or family support, or essentials like food and clothing.

They told the charity that being diverted from their teaching roles to address social, emotional, and physical needs of their students is hindering their ability to teach and impacting the whole class.

The teachers also revealed the emotional toll providing this extra support is having on them, on top of their already heavy workload - a commonly cited reason for quitting the profession.

• Make it a legal requirement for local councils to provide early help services backed by significant funding;
• Promote the use and best practice of family liaison officers in schools;
• Commit to a timetable for making education a fourth legal safeguarding partner in England; and
• Support all local councils to integrate their early help, early intervention and family services so there’s ‘one front door’, building on the current Family Hub model.

Catherine Joyce, Action for Children's national director for England, said:

"For too long, education and children’s policy has been too narrowly focused on what is happening in schools and has failed to address issues that lie beyond the school gates. Those issues often severely limit children’s ability to arrive at school happy, healthy, and ready to learn. Schools alone cannot tackle issues such as the growing attainment gap or attendance crisis."

"In this general election year, it’s vital that all political parties focus on children – including what they need both inside and outside school. This should include building a well-functioning and sufficiently funded early help system for children and parents in need of support."