Growing numbers of children living in ‘appalling conditions’, say teachers

Children reaching in bins for food, homes infested with rats, five-year-olds with mouths full of rotten teeth. The reality of poverty in Britain, according to teachers who say they’re having to deal with it every day.

We spoke to 80 primary school teachers across England, Scotland and Wales, and with the help of the National Association of Head Teachers, surveyed 400 heads. They paint a picture of growing numbers of children living in what they call “appalling conditions”.