Suffolk teacher says urgent action's needed to help families needing extra support
Around 320,000 pupils in the East are facing barriers to their education because of issues outside of school
A teacher in Suffolk says schools need more funding to help families in need of extra support.
It's as research from Action for Children shows that over 300,000 pupils across the East are now lagging behind due to a lack of support for problems they face outside school.
"Behaviour is now a massive concern"
Dave Lee Allen is head of the Suffolk Association of Secondary Headteachers: "The increase in challenges, whether it's mental health or financial issues, that young people and their families are facing, along with the reduction in levels of support available for them, will obviously impact them in school."
He says something needs to be done: "The evidence is really clear - attendance across the country has decreased, behaviour is now a massive concern across schools.
"We as leaders in the system have been calling out for increased funding and increased awareness....
"It does need really considerable bravery from a government to tackle the issues."
What else did the report find?
• The survey of teachers across the East of England reveals 31% of the region’s pupils – around 320,000 – are facing barriers to their education because of issues outside of school.
• Teachers in the East of England reported the most common barriers to education include living in an unstable family environment (62%), behavioural or emotional issues (61%), mental health challenges (56%) and poor attendance (43%).
• Just 2% of the region’s teachers polled believe pupils facing challenges will reach their expected grades by the end of this academic year.
• As the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers widens, Action for Children calls for greater central government funding for early help services and a legal requirement for councils to provide them.
What's the Government said on this?
The government says it's trying to help by increasing pupil premium funding and spending a billion pounds on a National Tutoring Programme.