Published 2009
Introduction
As a part of developing our child poverty report, we listened to hundreds of children and young people about the costs of school.
Our resources are designed to help children and young people, staff and governors at schools to map the costs that might be difficult for children and families to afford – both over the course of the school day and over the school year.
We have also created a resource to help young people in youth clubs and community groups to come up with priorities to improve their local area.
The Revolve Project – Resources for schools
We’ve created a lesson plan called the Revolve Project for KS2, KS3 and KS4 that encourages children and young people to set up uniform re-use shops in their schools.
We hope that by encouraging schools to create re-use shops in more schools and communities around Wales, we can help limit the burden on families caused by buying school uniform every year.
Revolve Project KS2 lesson plan
Revolve Project KS3/KS4 lesson plan
Revolve Project Accessible lesson plan
Maesteg school swap-shop
Maesteg school have made a swap-shop specifically to help pupils at their end-of-year prom.
County-wide scheme
As well as resources for schools, we’ve also heard about the brilliant work of Citizens Advice Denbighshire, and Denbighshire County Council, who run a county-wide uniform recycling scheme.
They’ve got good advice for anybody wanting to set up their own county-wide initiative.
Check with Ceri – Resources for schools
We have created an assessment tool for schools to consider the financial impact additional activities can have on families.
We’ve called it “Check with Ceri”.
Ceri is a fictional character who represents a child or young person whose family do not have enough money to afford the things they need, and who may miss out on their rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) because of this.
We want children, young people and adults at the school to take part in the “Check with Ceri” activity, designed to help them to think about what costs might be difficult for Ceri and their family to afford both over the course of the school day, and over the school year.
We then want them to work together to come up with ideas for what more the school might be able to do to help.
Check with Ceri KS2 lesson plan
Check with Ceri KS3/KS4 lesson plan
Check with Ceri Accessible lesson plan
Community Activists – A resource for community groups
Children and young people who we spoke to during this project valued the opportunities they have in their local community.
They also felt passionately that some important services were missing.
Community Activists is a workshop that encourages children and young people to take part in a community mapping exercise, linking amenities and facilities in their local community to their rights under the UNCRC, before being asked to consider what Ceri, a fictional character who represents a child or young person living in poverty, would find difficult to afford or take part in.
The children and young people will then be empowered/ supported to make a plan for making changes to their local community, including engaging with local decision makers.