Food bank in action, tins and other cupboard foods are laid out on a long table with people stood either side.
Food bank in action, tins and other cupboard foods are laid out on a long table with people stood either side.

SHSS Lecturer co-writes report on food banks in schools for leading educational research body

Intro

Sharon Vince, a lecturer in Early Years and Education at the School of Human and Social Sciences (SHSS), has co-authored a new report titled Food Banks in Schools - Exploring the Impact on Children’s Learning. It was funded by a grant which seeks to enhance learning opportunities for all from the British Educational Research Association (BERA).

Article body

Food banks and free food services have grown at an exponential rate in recent years and are more prevalent than ever due to the cost-of-living crisis. Through a series of interviews with school leaders, teachers, and food staff the study examines how such in-school services operate and their affect on children and their wider families.

Five schools from deprived areas in London and the Midlands participated in the project which adheres to the BERA ethical guidelines for educational research.

The study finds that school staff believe there are benefits to providing in-school food banks and provision services as they help children concentrate. According to participants, the biggest benefit is the child’s wellbeing, as family worry is taken out of the equation. This gives children opportunities to participate in everyday activities and focus on their learning.

Interestingly a deeper connection is created between the schools and families requiring support. The challenge with providing such services is the extra workload it places on schools, along with budgetary constraints.

This report highlights some of the challenges faced by children, families and school staff due to the cost of living crisis. Children are arriving at school too hungry to learn, whilst financial pressures are causing stress amongst families, impacting upon relationships and learning at home,”

says Sharon Vince.

Food Banks in Schools - Exploring the Impact on Children’s Learning was co-written with Professor Alice Bradbury, Co-Director of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy.

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