More than half of teachers in England have worked at a school with children experiencing homelessness in the past year, according to new research by Shelter. The charity, working with the teachers' union NASUWT, surveyed over 7,000 state school teachers and found that 52 per cent encountered homeless pupils.
The findings highlight the impact of the housing crisis on education. A separate NASUWT survey of teachers revealed that 76 per cent said homelessness led to poor performance in assessments, while 91 per cent reported that homeless children arrived at school tired. Across the UK, a record 175,025 children are living in temporary accommodation.
One mother, Ayeasha, 47, from London, described how her son spent 12 years in five different temporary homes. 'We were moved so far away from my son's school that he couldn't live with me during the school week,' she said. 'It was very disruptive for him.' After contacting Shelter, she secured a social home, but said her son remains unsettled and struggles to focus on his GCSEs.
Sarah Elliott, chief executive of Shelter, said: 'The housing emergency is infiltrating our classrooms and robbing children of their most basic need of a safe and secure home. Children are showing up to school exhausted after long commutes from accommodation that is many miles away.'
The government recently launched a national homelessness strategy backed by £3.5 billion, aiming to halve rough sleeping and end the unlawful use of B&Bs for families. It also passed the Renters' Rights Bill in October. However, Shelter and NASUWT are calling for 90,000 social homes a year for the next decade to meet demand.
NASUWT general secretary Matt Wrack said: 'Homelessness is taking an enormous physical and emotional toll on children and young people, which is adversely affecting their education and ability to learn.' A Ministry of Housing spokesperson said the government has made changes to support homeless pupils and is addressing root causes with record funding.
