Head reveals surprising way he spots kids are hungry as families face 'third world' conditions

As the country reels from a cost of living crisis, the experienced head spoke to BirminghamLive about the poor conditions many pupils face

Hungry children are revealing to broken-hearted teachers they haven't eaten properly, as a head revealed many didn't even have mattresses to lie on. Children are admitting to teachers that they are hungry by explaining what they had for dinner - which is often nowhere near enough to fuel them through the day.

Solihull headteacher Ian Gallagher told BirminghamLive many families are facing "third world" conditions like living without bedding or coming to school without eating or drinking. As the country reels from a cost of living crisis, the experienced head spoke to BirminghamLive about the poor conditions many pupils live in and his hopes for the new Labour government, which is battling against a grim backdrop of rocketing food bank usage and bankrupt councils.

"There are houses that don't have don't have cupboards or beds, they might have the bed but no bedding" said Ian. "It almost feels third world at times. You are coming out without eating or drinking you don't have a bed, that's a shocking state of affairs."

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Child poverty is soaring in Birmingham and without urgent change, will only get worse. Having worked with charities and community groups, BirminghamLive is campaigning for the following changes to start to turn the tide:

1. End the two-child benefit cap
2. Provide free school meals to every child in poverty
3. Create a city “aid bank” for baby and child essentials
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5. Create permanent, multi year Household Support Fund and give more Discretionary Housing grants
6. Set up child health and wellbeing hubs in our most deprived neighbourhoods
7. Appoint a Birmingham child poverty tsar
8. Provide free public travel for young people

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Ian has led St John the Baptist Catholic Primary School for a decade, navigating the 215-pupil primary school through major changes including children's centre closures, slashed benefit schemes and a life-changing pandemic. The school is in Smith's Wood, one of the most deprived parts of the borough where more than 50 percent of children are on free school meals, well above the national average.

The popular head revealed the extent of child poverty in north Solihull and Birmingham to BirminghamLive when we visited the school's thriving HAF club (holiday activities and food club). Ian has previously taught at schools in Minworth and Sutton Coldfield but said some of the issues facing families are things you would think would be banished to days gone by.

As we arrived on the hottest day of the year, squeals could be heard from the school's playground and field, a rare green space for many of the local families. Windows and walls were being wiped down ahead of the new school year as teachers and struggling parents told us their hopes for the year ahead.

Ian explained that he knows when children haven't eaten a substantial dinner when they tell him the type of food they have. He explained: "Children will tell you they ate a pound deal from the chip shop or a Greggs sausage roll." He added that as a result, young children in the city are turning up to school with empty stomachs.

"I make bagels every morning with the deputy head every morning, we know everybody has had something to eat before school. Kids might go back at break time for more." Solihull has just opened a handful of new children's centres, a "positive move" after the raft of Sure Start centre closures in the last decade.

"We have seen significant change. Covid was the pivotal change" explained Ian. He added that teachers realised children were going without basics like pens and paper, which, tied in with food poverty, made learning during the pandemic incredibly difficult.

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Ian added that since the pandemic, mental health has "deteriorated." With food bank usage levels in Birmingham at an 'unprecedented high', how does Ian feel about the new Labour government's pledge to reform the welfare system and alleviate families from poverty?

"We need general understanding from the government about the situation that the country is in. It is in a desperate situation making sure the funding is given through vouchers so that money goes to where it is needed. It is going to be down to what the government does."

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