Child poverty and mental health needs rise across Catholic schools
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In 2024, we surveyed leaders of Catholic schools across the Diocese of Salford in Greater Manchester and Lancashire. Their responses informed our report ‘If not us, then who?’, published last year, which highlighted growing challenges facing local children and families, particularly rising child poverty and mental health needs.
New evidence from school leaders shows that these pressures are not easing, but in many cases they are getting worse. Earlier this year, a follow-up survey revealed increasing pressures facing children, families and school communities.
92 per cent of respondents stated that the number of children in their school who live in poverty has increased over the past year, with one in three describing the rise as significant. This follows substantial increases highlighted in last year’s report.
School leaders told us that poverty has become more visible, with children coming to school without basic uniform, with holes in their shoes, and without enough food to make it through the school day. Respondents also raised concerns about poor health, exhaustion and dental problems linked to poverty.
The cost of living was identified by many respondents as a driving factor, with more and more parents struggling with basic needs such as food, energy bills and housing costs. Many of these parents are working and therefore often ineligible for support.
Schools continue to step in to meet the rising needs of children and families. Every day, they are providing food, clothes and hygiene products; paying for trips and activities so that children don’t miss out; and supporting families with crisis situations including homelessness.
Alongside rising poverty, schools are seeing a substantial rise in mental health concerns among pupils. 97 per cent of respondents stated that the number of children experiencing mental health issues has increased over the past year, with more than half saying the increase is significant.
School leaders highlighted concerns around access to mental health services, with waiting lists getting longer. This means that schools are providing more support to children in difficult circumstances, without sufficient external support.
The survey responses made clear the link between poverty and mental health, with many school leaders describing the anxieties around having enough food to eat and struggling to pay household bills, affecting both children and their parents.
As one school leader explained: “Poverty adds to burdens for families and means that families feel like they can’t cope. This in turn leads to unsettled children/trauma, which leads to poor mental health for all affected.”
School leaders also highlighted issues around technology and social media leading to increased mental health concerns and low self-esteem for children and young people, as well as declines in attendance and disengagement from learning as a result.
The results of the survey are clear – schools are doing everything they can, but they cannot meet these needs alone, and the school system and wider public and voluntary sectors are all under strain. One school leader said that teaching amounts to around 20 per cent of the work they do every day now.
The findings reinforce the urgent need for change we highlighted in last year’s report and continue to call for. Every child deserves to have a safe, secure place to call home, and all that they need to grow and thrive.
Changes we are calling for include:
- An end to the benefit cap which traps many families in poverty.
- Free school meals for all primary-aged children, which would mean that children with working parents who are struggling to get by would have one warm, nutritious meal every school day.
- A protected minimum amount of Universal Credit to cover the essentials.
- Unfreezing and increasing of Local Housing Allowance rates in line with local rents to ensure that more private rented homes are affordable for all, including families.
- Increased funding for mental health support in every school.
With your help, we’ll continue to raise awareness, engage decision-makers and highlight the urgent need for change, because we believe that change is possible and rising child poverty rates are not inevitable.
Your support makes a huge difference to local children and families. Click here to find out more about how you can get involved.
