Teachers Become Lifeline for Homeless Pupils as Temporary Housing Crisis Hits Record High
Teachers across England are increasingly stepping in to support homeless pupils by driving them to school, washing their clothes, and referring families to food banks, according to alarming new research. A comprehensive survey conducted by housing charity Shelter and the NASUWT Teachers' Union has revealed the devastating impact of the housing crisis on children's education and wellbeing.
Record Numbers in Temporary Accommodation
The research comes as government figures show a record 175,025 children are now living in temporary housing across England. Many affected families find themselves placed in bed and breakfasts, hostels, and overcrowded flats, often miles away from their children's schools and support networks.
The survey of 11,000 teachers found that most respondents had homeless children attending their schools in the past year. Nearly half - 49% - reported that their schools regularly refer homeless families to food banks to help them cope with basic needs.
Schools Filling Critical Gaps
With families frequently placed in temporary accommodation far from educational institutions, 41% of teachers said school staff had helped homeless children get to classes. A quarter of respondents reported that their schools regularly wash school uniforms for families living in temporary housing without adequate laundry facilities.
The vast majority of surveyed teachers said homelessness significantly impacts children's school attendance, academic performance in assessments, and mental health. These findings highlight how housing instability creates substantial barriers to educational achievement.
Personal Stories of Struggle
Alicia Samuels, 39, has been living in temporary accommodation in Tower Hamlets, east London, since she was pregnant with her son Aeon, who is now six. She became homeless after her father's death forced her to leave his council house, and has since moved through five different temporary homes.
The one-bedroom flat she shares with Aeon suffers from dampness and rodent infestations. Samuels reports that her son has developed hearing problems due to fluid in his ear resulting from mould exposure. "I've told the school about the fluid in Aeon's ear," she explained. "I don't want him to get sanctioned for not paying attention, if his mind goes somewhere else because he can't hear."
Samuels described how the living situation affects her son's confidence and social development: "He would excel so much more if he had more space for himself. I think he would find more confidence and independence." She avoids inviting other children for playdates due to embarrassment about their accommodation, noting that Aeon experiences anxiety and sleep difficulties related to their housing situation.
Educational Leaders Speak Out
Matt Morden, headteacher of Surrey Square Primary School in Walworth, south London, reported that a quarter of his pupils live in temporary accommodation. "Many of the children have asthma or sickle cell disease, so they are much more vulnerable, especially when the accommodation is damp, or the heating is not working," he said.
Morden highlighted the health consequences: "They are getting chest infections and colds because of the conditions they are living in, which isn't helping their attendance. How can you be expected to come into school and learn if you haven't slept properly, or you haven't had heating and it's freezing?"
Calls for Government Action
Sarah Elliott, chief executive of Shelter, called for urgent government intervention: "The government must ramp up the delivery of genuinely affordable social rent homes by setting a national target for delivery. We need 90,000 social homes a year for 10 years."
Matt Wrack, NASUWT general secretary, emphasised that while teachers are doing everything possible to support affected pupils, they cannot solve the housing crisis alone: "Teachers and school leaders are pulling out all the stops to help mitigate the effects of homelessness on these pupils and their families, but they cannot fix our national housing crisis. The government needs to go further and faster to make sure that no child's opportunities in life are blighted by the lack of a safe and secure place to call home."
The research underscores how England's housing emergency has extended its reach into classrooms, forcing educational professionals to provide basic support that should be available through adequate housing and social services.
