Hungry children falling asleep in class, says headteacher

A headteacher has said some children are falling asleep in class because they are coming to school so hungry.

Terri Cheung, headteacher at Phoenix Primary in Fairfield, Liverpool, urged Kier Starmer and education secretary Bridget Phillipson to "try and think about how difficult it is for some families who are on the poverty line".

Her comments came as pupils, teachers and community groups were appealing outside the Labour conference in the city as part of the No Child Left Behind campaign, which is calling for free school meals for every primary school child in England.

The Department for Education said the government had "a clear mission to break down barriers to opportunity and confront child poverty".

Ms Cheung said: "These families are struggling and therefore the children are struggling - please understand that £40 a week, the cost it might be for the packed lunches, could be the difference between a family being OK or not."

She said when children are hungry in school they are "often not settled and can get confused".

"It may be that the child is struggling to concentrate, they are falling asleep sometimes, the children become irritable and restless," she said.

The Department of Education said the government had launched a child poverty taskforce.

A statement said: "One of our first priorities is on delivering free breakfast clubs in every primary school to make sure children start the day with a full stomach and ready to learn.

"We have launched a child poverty taskforce co-chaired by the education secretary and work and pensions secretary, looking at longer-term actions to increase household income, bring down essential costs, and tackle the challenges felt by those living in poverty."