Cost of living support for primary schools with £250k uplift

The Council has funded local primary schools with a £250k uplift to allow them to implement their own cost-saving initiatives. The funding, which was given to schools at the start of this year, has allowed them to provide a range of schemes including free hot meals, breakfast clubs and discounts to school uniforms. 

The £253,000 pot has allowed schools, who know their pupils and families best, to allocate money in a way that will provide maximum financial benefits at a time when families need it most. Around 639 children who are currently ineligible for free school meals could benefit from this package of support. 

Cllr Catherine Faulks, Lead Member for Family and Children’s Services, said: 
“I know that many of our residents are worried about the rising cost of living and we want to do everything we can to support those who can’t get help through other funding programmes or support schemes. Whether that’s new school shoes or a hot lunch, teachers know what will make the biggest difference in each of their schools. By giving them the freedom to spend it according to their pupils’ needs, we hope this funding will go as far as possible to help local families. 

Emily Caldwell, Headteacher at Park Walk Primary School, said: 
“At Park Walk Primary school the additional funding will allow us to support families experiencing hardship as a result of the cost of living crisis. 
“The freedom of choice given to schools means that we can look at the best ways to allocate it to maximise benefits for pupils and families.”

The package has been codesigned with headteachers to ensure every penny committed can be best utilised by schools. The Council provided a survey to schools to how they plan to spend the money, with early results revealing that schools are most interested in funding hot meals and breakfast clubs for pupils.

This funding joins other support recently made available by the Council, including increasing our holiday Free School Meal food vouchers from £15 to £20 per week for eligible pupils.