Schools 'a lifeline to many students' in past year'

School staff have been giving clothing, food and furnishings to families that have been struggling financially in the coronavirus pandemic, teachers say.

Some pupils have gone to school without winter coats, while others have been worried about having enough to eat, a National Education Union poll suggests.

The findings come as the NEU begins its annual conference on Wednesday.

The Department for Education says it has invested £2bn to help pupils in England in the wake of the pandemic.

The NEU surveyed 10,696 members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in March and concluded that schools and colleges had been a "lifeline" to many disadvantaged students during the past year.

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