After attending training on Poverty Proofing© the School Day over the summer 80 Sefton teachers and school staff reported a significant improvement in their understanding of poverty, its local context, and its consequences.

Ninety-six percent

Ninety-six percent of those who attended the training in June and July reported that their understanding of child and family poverty as now "Good to Very Good". This is an increase from 30% before the training.

Over 90% of attendees said they are more likely to make changes to their practice as a result of the training. ​And 100% of attendees said they would recommend the training to a colleague or friend.

Poverty Proofing© the School Day

The training was part of Sefton Council’s Public Health team’s work in partnership with charity, Children North East and local schools on the Poverty Proofing© the School Day initiative.

Developed by the charity, Poverty Proofing© the School Day is designed to highlight to school staff, the challenges faced by students living in poverty. These challenges can include the price of uniforms and the cost of activities such as bringing food ingredients for cookery and food technology lessons or fees for trips.

As well as explaining the Poverty Proofing © process, the training covered definitions of poverty along with its causes and consequences. It looked at the effect on educational outcomes for children with experience of living in poverty. And it covered the ways that policies and structures in schools can affect those children.

Eye opener

Comments received in the feedback after the training included:

"It has given a deeper understanding of what a lot of our families are dealing with on a day-to-day basis." ​

"Statistics were eye opener." ​

"Massively changed my opinion and understanding. ​ Learnt a lot regarding statistics and impact of poverty." ​

Six Sefton schools are already taking part in the Poverty Proofing © project, a further 10 are joining from September and another nine are lined up to join soon.

Recognised nationally

Recognised nationally, Poverty Proofing © is a unique model created by Children North East which aims to address the structural inequalities in systems and organisations that impact those facing financial hardship.

Participants such as the school staff who underwent the training are helped to look at the experience of poverty through the lens of those affected by it. And then encouraged to recommend changes in practice and policy to address the issues those young people face.

Tackling these often-unseen inequalities that can cause stigma, helps break the link between educational attainment and financial background. And it helps schools to explore the most effective way to spend Pupil Premium.

Prospects and opportunities

Cllr Diane Roscoe, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children Schools and Families, said: “Living with poverty in childhood can stay with people throughout their lives and can have a negative effect on their future prospects and opportunities and even their own future families.

“The feedback from the recent training is very positive and powerful and show it is having an effect.

“It has really opened the participants eyes and, as the new school year starts, encouraged them to develop ways of making real day-to-day improvement for those pupils who are experiencing poverty.

“I am glad to see more Sefton school are joining the Poverty Proofing© the School Day programme to maximise the prospects for opportunities for every pupil in our Borough.”

Huge impact

Ancha Stoodley from Children North East said: "Working with Sefton Council has been a great experience and the collaboration will make a huge impact for many children, young people and families in the area.

“From our decade of experience developing Poverty Proofing© the School Day, we know how hidden financial barriers can reduce children and young people's accessibility to education and experiences.

“Our work shines a light on how even small costs add up for families and the pressures this can cause, and how schools can remove these to ensure every child has equal opportunity to learn.

“The staff have been so receptive to the training, they have a great attitude and a real drive to support every child in the classroom and beyond the school day".

Arts and Culture

Sefton is also using the Poverty Proofing© approach to find out young people's views on artistic and cultural opportunities in the Borough. This has included setting up focus groups where young people can talk about their views of art and culture in Sefton and any barriers there may be to accessing them.

Sefton’s Child Poverty Strategy focuses on the themes of ‘pockets, prospects and places’ has been recognised as an example of good practice and is now included on University College London’s Institute of Health Equity website.

Links

• More about Sefton Council’s work to combat Child Poverty in Sefton here.
  
  
• Details of Children North East's Poverty Proofing© the School Day programme.