Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage in Schools

Understand more deeply and better address inequalities in your school
Actionable, road-tested approaches to understanding and tackling poverty in schools with case studies and examples from schools across the UK, quick summaries of research and reflective questions and tasks.

*ERA Educational Book Award Winner, 2026*

Actionable, road-tested approaches to understanding and tackling poverty in schools

The stark reality of poverty and disadvantage in our communities is one of the biggest challenges faced by schools today. Schools need better understanding of the broader impact of poverty and disadvantage and what they can do about it – that’s where Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage in Schools comes in.

The book is divided into three clear sections on how to understand and tackle poverty across the whole school, in the classroom, and within the community.
The whole school section focuses on understanding poverty and its roots, including:
- defining poverty and addressing the topic within professional development
- assessing the school day to discover and address barriers, from uniform prices and transport to accessing free school meals
- giving early help and intervention
- understanding the intersection between poverty and displacement

The classroom section focuses on barriers to learning and practical steps to address these, including:
- how to adapt the curriculum to assist pupils with fewer advantages
- how a focus on social justice can help
- the importance of reading

The community section addresses the wider context, including:
- addressing exclusion and suspension rates, and how to use mentors to encourage pupils
- partnerships with local businesses and organisations to broaden pupils’ opportunities

Written by expert authors working in a deprived area in the north east of England, Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage in Schools goes beyond the statistics and – whilst there are no 'silver bullets' – offers practical ways forward. This book is backed by research and is complete with case studies, reflective tasks and next steps from contributors from across the UK and working with all phases. As well as this, Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage includes a foreword written by Dame Alison Peacock, CEO of The Chartered College of Teaching.

From poverty-proofing the classroom and curriculum to changing whole-school culture and breaking the cycle, this resource speaks to the multiple intersecting crises currently faced by schools including lost learning during the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and increased referrals relating to DV. Tackling Poverty and Disadvantage in Schools equips you as a system-leader or educator to understand more deeply, diagnose issues and better address inequalities in your school.

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