Cost of Living Crisis: Impact on Schools, 2023

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A rapid and unexpected increase in global prices lead to an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis in 2022/23, affecting pupils and their schools who are often the first-line of support for families. This project gathered evidence around the overarching scale of challenges in schools in England, how these varied across settings and groups of pupils, and what steps schools took to mitigate the impacts of the crisis. It drew on nationally representative surveys of teachers and senior leaders in mainstream and special schools, to provide insights into the overarching impact of the cost-of-living crisis on pupils, how day-to-day provision in schools has been affected and the support which schools are providing.

A rapid and unexpected increase in global prices in 2021 and 2022 lead to an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis in 2022/23, affecting pupils and their schools who are often the first-line of support for families. This project gathered evidence around the overarching scale of challenges in schools in England, how these varied across settings and groups of pupils, and what steps schools took to mitigate the impacts of the crisis. It drew on nationally representative surveys of teachers and senior leaders in mainstream and special schools, to provide insights into the overarching impact of the cost-of-living crisis on pupils, how day-to-day provision in schools has been affected and the support which schools are providing.