The challenge

A state of ‘permacrisis’ – from austerity to the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising cost of living – has heightened financial pressure on families. With increasing numbers of households experiencing food insecurity, many schools are plugging gaps in the welfare system by offering food aid to low-income families.

Research impact - Critically examining rising school-based food aid

Two University of Bristol projects, one drawing on a novel source of nationally representative data (Feeding Hungry Families: Food Banks in Schools in England (PDF, 1,713kB) Baker, Knight and Leckie, 2024) and the other on interviews with school staff (Baker, 2023), provide compelling evidence of the rising trend of English schools providing charitable food aid to meet families’ needs with one in every five schools across England now running a school-based food bank.

While charitable and third sector organisations, chiefly The Trussell Trust and The Independent Food Aid Network, remain key players operating 1,646 and 1,172 food banks respectively, the latest data indicates schools now outstrip this, running an estimated 4,250 food banks. The large numbers of school-based food banks suggest they are rapidly becoming a commonplace response to how schools support families. As Dr Baker notes:

“The fact so many schools now offer a food bank raises the possibility they may have already become completely normalised and institutionalised within schools in England.”

Since 2022, Dr Baker has been investigating the increasing role that schools in England are taking in enabling families to access food. Foregrounding the voices and experiences of school staff and families, through 60 in-depth interviews with staff working in early years settings, primary and secondary schools he explored how and why schools are providing charitable aid to working class and low-income families (Baker, 2023).

A subsequent study drawing on nationally representative quantitative data from teachers across England accessed through Teacher Tapp (n= 8,665) assessed how many school-based food banks operate in England and where they can be found (Feeding Hungry Families: Food Banks in Schools in England (PDF, 1,713kB) Baker, Knight and Leckie, 2024).

In sum, the evidence gathered shows that schools are often compelled to support families by providing charitable food aid when their needs are not met elsewhere, and that this support is disproportionally found in schools with high numbers of socio-economically disadvantaged children. As one teacher notes:

“A lot of the money has been swallowed up by living day to day, bills, mortgages, food has gone up enormously. We are picking up the brunt of what parents can’t do.”

The study’s findings have appeared in 156 news outlets including ITVX, The Independent, and the BBC, and featured on the Channel 5 evening news, and the ITV Tonight programme 'Kids in poverty: Britain's shame', raising public awareness about the rise of hunger and food insecurity in the UK and galvanising widespread debate about whether schools should be filling this role, and to such an extent, in the first place.

The study highlights the need for debate about the extent of child food insecurity in England and the development of effective policymaking regarding charitable food aid in schools. It aims to spark serious consideration about how best to support schools, so they are better equipped to tackle the issue.

In summary, there needs to be greater awareness among policy makers of the nature and scale of the problem and the current policy vacuum around charitable food aid in schools in England and across the UK. In response to the study, Paul Whiteman, NAHT General Secretary noted how in recent years his union has "increasingly heard from school leaders who are going above and beyond.” He notes how:

“The Government hasn’t done nearly enough to support children’s recovery from the pandemic, tackle the root causes of poverty, or properly invest in social care, which have all been under-funded over the last decade. Until this changes, we will continue to see worrying levels of poverty.”

The research has also informed a new book, Feeding Hungry Kids: School and Food Charity in Times of Crisis (Policy Press, publication pending), that will further examine child food insecurity and highlight the urgent need to work towards a ‘zero hunger’ society. Building on the empirical data collected during this project, Dr Baker is also collaborating with organisations including The Children’s Kitchen, Feeding Bristol and Feeding Britain to co-designed a project that aims to promote better understanding of food insecurity and healthy eating, and inform local, national and regional policy on food in educational settings.