Nearly a quarter of secondary school pupils on free school meals have avoided choosing certain GCSE subjects due to cost concerns, according to new research from the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). The study found that 23% of students eligible for free lunches said financial barriers prevented them from selecting subjects such as music, cooking, or geography, compared with just 9% of their more affluent peers.
The costs associated with GCSE subjects can include fieldwork trips for geography, exchange programmes for modern foreign languages, instrument lessons for music, ingredients for food and nutrition, and extra kit for physical education. CPAG’s research also revealed that 29% of free school meal students considered cost an important factor when choosing subjects, versus 11% of other students. Additionally, nearly a third (30%) of those on free meals struggled to afford necessary resources for homework, including technology and devices.
Previous CPAG analysis estimated that sending a child to secondary school costs families at least £2,274.77 per year, with £449.67 spent on essentials like stationery, revision guides, and calculators. Kate Anstey, CPAG’s head of education policy, said: “Children in struggling families are going back to school only to be bounced out of some subjects and learning by costs – cut off from opportunities just as the foundations of their futures are being laid.”
CPAG is urging the government to increase support for family incomes and invest in children’s futures, including scrapping the two-child limit, as part of its autumn child poverty strategy. A separate survey by Parentkind found that nearly half of parents worried about the cost of school uniforms, with 29% saying they would go without heating or eating to pay for them. The government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill proposes capping the number of branded uniform items schools can require.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Tackling the baked-in inequalities in our education system will take time, but we have a clear plan for change to increase support for working families and break down barriers to opportunity. We are absolutely clear that schools should make sure the cost of curriculum subjects is not a barrier to access and that materials necessary for examinations are provided to all pupils.” The spokesperson added that the government is expanding free school meals to every family on Universal Credit and rolling out free breakfast clubs across the country.
