Teesside schools 'breaking the barrier' to help tackle hygiene poverty
Children are missing out on school because of it
Schools in Teesside say they are breaking down barriers in helping children who are experiencing hygiene poverty.
New research with primary and secondary state-school teachers, commissioned by household challenger brand smol, with support from national charity, The Hygiene Bank, reveals that hygiene poverty is leading to significant absenteeism, social exclusion, and long-term emotional damage for UK school children.
Teachers estimate nearly three million children in the UK are experiencing, or have experienced, hygiene poverty, with pupils missing an average of 6.5 school days per year as a direct result, equating to over 23 million lost learning days annually.
Graham Skidmore is the lead principal of Outwood Academy Acklam and Ormesby: "Research tells you that attendance is the most important factor and if we can get children into classrooms then teachers will be able to do the job more effectively, so we know that attendance is one of the biggest challenges and it's really sad to hear that something that a lot of us would just take for granted, having access to those hygiene products is a barrier that's stopping students.
"At Outwood Academy Ormesby in particular, we've established the welcome hub now which is an area on the way into school where children can pop in and whatever they need for the day; whether they've forgot some equipment, their uniform's not right or whether that be some breakfast, that's a safe space to help with that. Alongside that, we're in the process of starting and setting up an eco shop.
"We sometimes take for granted that if you've got a choice to make between feeding yourself or cleaning yourself, that's a really difficult choice to make and actually most of the time our families will try and put food on the table if they're struggling and so as a Trust that's something that here at Acklam we're looking at actually can we look at replicating that by working with charities and local groups.
"I think in terms of Ormesby, there's been a roughly five percent increase in attendance in a year and that's roughly the length of time our family support worker's been in post,it's quite a new post, and the welcome hub's evolved this year as that's gone on. I think we've seen impact that that change and that approach is working to break down those barriers to get students over that line and into school.
"We've been able through that worker to work with local charities to get a bed for a child who was sleeping on the floor to go and get them duvets and pillows. I know we're talking specifically about hygiene, but the work that that family support worker and that approach and that community strategy that we've got as a Trust is doing is much wider than that.
"We're really pleased that we're seeing the imapct that we're now getting some of those children that have struggled to get to school into school, because it's really tough to go to school if you haven't slept all night and a child that's now got a bed, their own space and somewhere to relax and recharge, has got a much better chance of coming into school at 8 o'clock the next morning."
Almost all teachers surveyed (91 percent) believe this will have lasting consequences on children’s lives, from deteriorating mental health and social isolation to an impact on future employability.
The scale of the problem is increasing, with a 68 percent year-on-year surge in state schoolteachers reporting daily instances of pupils experiencing hygiene poverty. Teachers have shared accounts of students arriving in unwashed uniforms, wearing the same clothes for weeks, or bursting into tears when asking for basic items like soap.