esponding to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's annual UK Poverty Report, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “The devastating impact of poverty harms children’s learning and life chances – pupils are not ready to learn if they are hungry or do not have stable living arrangements.

“Funding cuts under previous governments mean it is harder for councils to support families struggling to make ends meet, and schools have increasingly ended up trying to fill this gap, offering food parcels and even showers and use of laundry facilities. However, this type of emergency school-based response cannot be seen as a long-term solution.

“More must be done to tackle both the causes and symptoms of poverty. This will require real action to implement the recommendations of the government’s child poverty taskforce, and more investment in vital community support so children and families get the help they need.”