Latest press releases and news from Coventry Citizens Advice Bureau and Advice Services Coventry.

Coventry Schools achieve best practice despite budget constraints

 Last Summer Coventry Citizens Advice Bureau surveyed 150 parents and carers in Coventry to establish how much people in Coventry are spending on sending their children to school. Coventry CAB also sent a similar survey to all schools in Coventry in order to give them a chance to respond to parents and carers concerns;.

Sophie Parkes, social policy co-ordinator at the bureau stated that, ‘We took on board the feedback we received in 2009 that our survey just wasn’t big enough.  Last year we were able to work with placement students from Coventry University to expand our research and as a result we confident that we now have an accurate picture of what people are spending in sending their children to school’

Coventry CAB found that some parents spend up to £200 every year on each child on uniforms, shoes and PE Kits and that often they had no option but to go to specialist shops or the school to buy items with a school logo. Inevitably some parents have to borrow from a variety of sources including asking grandparents and friends to help with uniforms, trips and extra-curricular activities.

43% of Coventry parents and carers reported that they were unable to buy the full correct uniform for their children from anywhere other than a specialist shop, a staggering 79% were not aware of uniform recycling schemes and worryingly 61% said that they needed additional information with budgeting and managing household finances.

Schools reported that they worked hard to ensure that uniforms are affordable and that they heavily subsidised trips and extra curricular activities but that often they are at the mercy of tight budgets and this is often dictated by the location of schools within the city.

Charley Gibbons, chief executive of Coventry CAB commented that, ‘We know from the small number of schools that did provide feedback and complete our survey that they are mindful of the amount they ask parents and carers to pay for uniforms and trips. We are delighted therefore to have been able to base our best practice guidelines, as detailed in the report, on some of this feedback. As a parent and school governor I am supportive of school uniforms and recognise the value of trips in childrens’ education.  As an advice agency we have detailed knowledge of how people survive on tight budgets and we are particularly concerned that due to cuts in welfare benefits and cost of living rises, household budgets will be even more stretched which is why we have issued our report now’

For more information contact:

Sophie Parkes – Coventry Citizens Advice Bureau - 07784031084

Daksha Piparia – Advice Services Coventry – 024 76252019