Food Banks in Schools and Nurseries - by Alice Bradbury & Sharon Vince (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Available Open Access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.

During the cost-of-living crisis, schools and nurseries have had to step beyond their educational purpose to offer free food to families through food banks. This book explores how these food banks operate, why families use them and how they affect children's participation and wellbeing. Drawing on case studies of 12 primary schools and early years settings across England, it examines the impact on family wellbeing, home-school relationships and staff.

The authors argue that the situation will remain unsustainable if this welfare work continues to be unfunded and unrecognised, raising a significant question of who should and who can be responsible for alleviating child poverty.

Review Quotes

"This book is a powerful analysis of the recent growth of food banks in nurseries and primary schools - the 'responsibilisation of schools to address the problem of child poverty' as the authors note. Bradbury and Vince conduct a finely detailed analysis of how this situation has come to pass, what teachers think and feel about such provision, and what the implications are for the schools themselves and society in general of having schools reach beyond their core purpose. Required reading for anyone interested in the contemporary provision of welfare services." Carol Vincent, UCL Institute of Education, emerita

"This thoughtful and thought-provoking book provides a timely and important critique of the pressing issue of child poverty in England, and highlights the considerable impact on families and primary schools." Kate Hoskins, Brunel University of London

"What can we say of these shameful times when child poverty and food insecurity have become so normalised that schools now have to make provision to feed their families and children through on-site food banks? As this book details, locating food banks in schools offers advantages to families whose feelings of shame and stigma at being in need can be reduced. Educational professionals recognise their moral responsibility to support hungry children on a day-to-day basis because, if they don't, who else will? Through a detailed, grounded account of what is currently happening in schools, this important book points to a 'policy crisis' and to a 'policy vacuum' where there is no other option but for schools to step up and try to alleviate food insecurity. Bradbury and Vince ask if the state should be relying on schools to ameliorate child poverty in this way and whether this can be a sustainable policy response." Meg Maguire, King's College London

About the Author

Alice Bradbury is Professor of Sociology of Education and Co-Director at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy 0-11 Years (HHCP) at the Institute of Education, University College London.

Sharon Vince is Research Assistant at the Institute of Education, University College London and Lecturer in Education Studies and Early Childhood Studies at the University of West London.