Cost of uniforms and transport barrier to attendance, CPAG finds

Some 16% of 11-to-18-year-olds in the UK said they have missed school at least once because they didn’t have something they needed to attend, such as correct uniforms, food money or transport, according to a new report from The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). 

This percentage was shown to rise among children who qualify for means-tested free school means, with 26% of school-aged respondents confirming this being the case. 

A nationally representative survey of 1,701 students aged 11-18 formed the basis of the CPAG report, ‘Priced out of school: how lack of money prevents young people from attending school’. The report identifies that the cost of school uniform, food, transport, and trips can contribute to lower school attendance.

The report indicates that 47% of young people who were denied school access due to lacking necessary items were turned away because of incorrect uniform or kit. Across all secondary school pupils, those in receipt of free school meals were more than three times as likely to give this reason for missing school than their peers.

Meanwhile, 23% of respondents who reported not having what they needed said they didn’t attend school because they didn’t have the money to pay for school meals. Another 20% said difficulty affording a packed lunch had kept them off.

The campaign group also revealed that children receiving free school meals sometimes share their allowances with food-insecure friends. Additionally, students from low-income families are more likely to report needing time off school due to mental health issues compared to their peers.

What’s more, financial barriers “significantly” impact school attendance among young people. Over a quarter (26%) of young people who missed school due to lacking necessary resources cited unaffordable transportation as the reason, while 27% reported that the inability to pay for school trips sometimes led to their absence.

Subject costs also presented challenges, with 16% of all pupils reporting that costs or worries about the cost of some subjects prevented them from choosing a subject to study.

In light of this report, the Child Poverty Action Group urges the UK government to eliminate the two-child limit and benefit cap to alleviate related issues. Furthermore, the CPAG recommends that all UK nations adopt Scotland’s approach of providing free public transport for young people.