Every day, pupils from different homes with different family dynamics and vastly different circumstances come together in a classroom. For a period of time they are connected through a shared learning experience.
But the lives they live after the school day ends fall back into vastly different worlds and experiences. Some return home to luxury, some to the basic refuge of an acceptable standard of living. Many others are not so fortunate; a growing number of pupils and families are finding themselves more reliant on school as something that helps them get from one day to another.
Schools are “an oasis in many children’s lives”. For many, that oasis doesn’t just water the ground that produces educational outcomes, but nourishes the family unit itself, providing refuge and relief.
Javed Khan, former CEO of Barnardo’s,
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