Children in blue school uniforms eating lunch

Child poverty

The NEU’s No Child Left Behind campaign is fighting to break down the barriers poverty puts up around equal access to education.

Support our campaign

In the UK today, 27% of our children – 3.9 million – are trapped in poverty. That means the equivalent of 8 pupils in every class of 30 have been let down.

As educators, we know first-hand how poverty limits the life chances of children and significantly affects their educational experience and outcomes in school. We are calling on the Government to leave no child behind.

Make sure there is #nochildleftbehind

Find out how many children near you are growing up in poverty and ask your MP to act now

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Poverty is holding millions of children back

The Government must act to give children trapped in poverty the access to education they need:

  1. End child poverty: the Government must devise a child poverty strategy setting out clear policy objectives to tackle the prevalence of child poverty.
  2. Reform Universal Credit: Government must end Universal Credit deductions, lift the benefits cap and remove the punitive 2-child limit so that families can access the support they need.
  3. Invest in childcare: work towards a universal and free childcare system, delivered as public infrastructure, to help lift families out of poverty.
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Turning the page on poverty

A practical guide for members to develop individual practice and tackle the impact of poverty on pupil learning throughout the school day.

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