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Pencil cases banned in North East school to stop 'comparison' School pencil cases banned to stop 'stigma'
(35 minutes later)
A school has banned pencil cases in a bid to stop pupils from poor families being stigmatised.A school has banned pencil cases in a bid to stop pupils from poor families being stigmatised.
St Wilfrid's Primary School in Blyth, Northumberland, said it had taken steps to get rid of any "designer goods".St Wilfrid's Primary School in Blyth, Northumberland, said it had taken steps to get rid of any "designer goods".
The charity Children North East's Poverty Proofing the School Day project has worked with more than 100 schools to look at how they might unwittingly exclude or stigmatise some pupils. Head teacher Pauline Johnstone said pencil cases have been banned "so there's no comparison on the tables and children are learning".
Schools say it has led to higher attendance and better results. St Wilfrid's was among more than 100 schools in a project to stop poorer pupils being stigmatised.
The charity also says "dress up" days or conversations about "what we did at the weekend" can also penalise those from low-income backgrounds. After working with charity Children North East, the school has begun providing stationery and has cut down on the number of dress-up and fundraising days.
Pauline Johnstone, head teacher at St Wilfrid's, said pencil cases have been banned "so there's no comparison on the tables and children are learning". "There was a culture within the school, within pupils, that noticed those children who were never in on PE days for example," Ms Johnstone said.
The school instead provides all stationary in the middle of each table.
"There was a culture within the school, within pupils, that noticed those children who were never in on PE days for example," she said.
"Part of our uniform policy is a standard backpack so we don't have any designer goods.""Part of our uniform policy is a standard backpack so we don't have any designer goods."
The school has also cut down on the number of dress-up and fundraising days, and helped families to access after school clubs. The Poverty Proofing the School Day project, led by Children North East, encouraged teachers to look at ways in which some pupils might be unwittingly excluded.
Children North East said schools also found more discreet ways of distributing free school uniforms as parents and children were reluctant to approach them directly. Schools said it has led to higher attendance and better results.
The charity also said "dress-up" days or conversations about "what we did at the weekend" can also penalise those from low-income backgrounds.
It said schools also found more discreet ways of distributing free school uniforms as parents and children were reluctant to approach them directly.
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Chief executive Jeremy Cripps said the project had improved behaviour and helped more pupils take part in extra-curricular activities.Chief executive Jeremy Cripps said the project had improved behaviour and helped more pupils take part in extra-curricular activities.
"The government is constantly saying that the way out of poverty is educational achievement - and by that they mean doing well in school exams and ideally going on to further education," he added."The government is constantly saying that the way out of poverty is educational achievement - and by that they mean doing well in school exams and ideally going on to further education," he added.
"But if you're not engaging with it to start with you really haven't got a chance to take advantage of all that education.""But if you're not engaging with it to start with you really haven't got a chance to take advantage of all that education."
See more on The Politics Show in the North East & Cumbria on BBC1 at 11:00 BST, Sunday 13 May and on the iPlayer for 28 days thereafter .See more on The Politics Show in the North East & Cumbria on BBC1 at 11:00 BST, Sunday 13 May and on the iPlayer for 28 days thereafter .