Most teachers have seen pupils in dirty clothes, with unwashed hair and unbrushed teeth in past year

The majority of teachers have witnessed pupils attend school in dirty clothes, with unwashed hair and unbrushed teeth in the past year, a new survey suggests. 

Four in five school staff believe there has been an increase in “hygiene poverty” issues in their school in the last 12 months – and a third of these said the rise has been “significant”, according to a poll carried out by Censuswide in September.

Nearly two in three school staff also said they expect the level of hygiene poverty to increase in the upcoming year.

More than three in five (62%) have seen pupils with dirty uniforms or PE kits, and 60% have noted unwashed hair and unclean teeth.

The survey, of 500 school staff in the UK, also suggests that nearly three in 10 (28%) have seen children repeatedly miss school because of hygiene poverty.

School staff reported they have personally washed pupils’ uniforms and purchased soap, toiletries and laundry detergent for families in need.

On average, school staff spent around £27 out of their own pocket in the last year on hygiene poverty support for pupils, the poll found.

The Hygiene Bank and the brand smol, which commissioned the survey, estimated that school staff in the UK spent around £40m of their own money supporting pupils with hygiene poverty issues in the past year.

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Ruth Brock, chief executive at The Hygiene Bank – which provides hygiene products to those in need – said: “It’s heartbreaking that in 2024 children across the UK are missing out on their education because their families cannot afford what they need to stay clean.

“Hygiene poverty is a silent crisis that impacts not only children’s health and wellbeing, but also their ability to participate fully in school, potentially limiting their life chances. Teachers need to be able to teach; they should not be left to fill the gap, financially and emotionally, by providing these essentials.

“The government’s child poverty taskforce must urgently address this issue ensuring that no child’s future is limited by the shame and isolation caused by hygiene poverty.”

A government spokesperson said: “We are taking action to deliver our mission to break down barriers to opportunity and remove the stain of child poverty from our country.

“That includes legislating to bring down school uniform costs by capping the number of branded items, and as many as 750 schools will begin delivering breakfast clubs as early as next April.

“We have also launched a child poverty taskforce co-chaired by the education secretary, and work and pensions secretary, to listen to frontline staff and struggling families, delivering an ambitious strategy to increase household income, bring down essential costs, and tackle the challenges felt by those living in poverty.”