The Co-op Academies Trust has launched a commitment designed to ensure children “can access every part of school life with a real sense of equality, regardless of their family’s financial circumstances”.
Students from the trust gathered at Co-op Academy Belle Vue in Manchester last week for the launch of Fair Deal: Non-Negotiables for an Inclusive Education for All.
This sets out a trust-wide commitment to “removing the financial barriers that can prevent children from fully participating in school life – and to making sure that poverty does not influence of affect a child’s education”.
Serving more than 23,000 students across 40 academies, the trust has set out practical expectations for every school, covering everything from uniform and food to school trips, equipment, enrichment, work experience, sanitary products, celebrations and homework.
“The approach also recognises that some of the biggest barriers are less visible,” the trust added. “Schools are expected to provide support discreetly, avoid publicly identifying children because of their family’s circumstances, and ensure that activities and opportunities do not advantage children simply because their families have more money.”
The launch brought together around 200 students, alongside representatives from organisations including Ofsted, the Children’s Commissioner, local authority children’s services, Citizens Advice, Resolve Poverty and the Co-op Group.
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“We know schools cannot solve child poverty,” said the trust’s regional director and lead for the Fair Deal, “but we do have power to remove some of the barriers that children experience because of it.
“The question for us is: what can we do with the authority we have? That means looking at the things that can make a child feel different because of their family’s circumstances – from whether they can afford a trip or the right equipment, to whether they can access food without being singled out.
“The Fair Deal is our promise that we will use the authority of our Trust and our schools to make those barriers less visible, so that every child can participate fully in school life, feel that they belong and have the same opportunity to thrive.”
The Fair Deal comes at a time when the cost of education remains a significant concern for families, with recent changes to school uniform requirements and free school meal provision putting the cost of school life firmly on the national agenda.
But the trust says the Fair Deal goes beyond reducing the cost of individual items. “It is about considering how financial circumstances affect a child’s experience of school – including whether they can take part, access opportunities and feel that they belong,” it adds.
Co-op Academy Belle Vue has had its first ever GCSE results this summer, with an attainment 8 score of 53.6, with 79.7% of students achieving grade 4 or above in both English and mathematics.
