Pupils and their families have been profoundly impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, and schools are on the front line in responding to pupils’ needs.
Earlier this month, NFER published a series of reports [1] drawing on responses from over 2,500 senior leaders and teachers in mainstream and special schools to understand the impact of cost-of-living pressures on pupils and schools.
Our research highlights that without urgent action now, recent cost-of-living increases risk having far reaching and long-lasting impacts on pupils, particularly those who are most vulnerable, across both mainstream and special school settings.
The vast majority of senior leaders (at least 84 per cent across primary, secondary and special settings) report that cost-of-living pressures have increased both the numbers of pupils requiring additional support [2] and their level of need, especially in the most disadvantaged [3] schools.
