It is 3:20pm on a Friday afternoon, and a long queue snakes around City Academy, a school in the heart of Birmingham city centre. Children here are queuing, alongside homeless people from the area, for food for the weekend. Some have literally run here as soon as the school bell sounds, just to make sure they get their share.
Executive headteacher Raj Mann, who grew up in poverty with parents who often went without so he and his brother could eat, says it breaks his heart to see families still struggling today. 'From Monday to Friday, I know that for some students, their school dinner is the only hot meal they will have each day,' he said. 'My fear is that on weekends, there are families that cannot afford that food. If they can utilise the food we give them from the market, it is nice to see them walking in on Monday morning, knowing they have had food over the weekend.'
A Personal Connection to Poverty
Raj and his brother were pupil premium students themselves. Their parents came over from India and were homeless for over a year before moving into a one-room flat in Aston when their children were born. 'I know what it is like to be in poverty,' said Raj, who became a headteacher at the age of 39 and is now 46. 'It breaks my heart to see some of the children because I know what it feels like to go to bed hungry. I always wanted to become a headteacher and said that, if I did, I would go above and beyond to help these families.'
He recalls his parents' struggles: 'My mum and dad arrived fresh in the country from India and were homeless for over a year, moving into a room above a shop when me and my brother came along. Some places are horrible but can still feel quite warm. We did not know any different growing up, that was the way it was. Only later did we realise we lived in poverty. It taught us to value what we had and to live with gratitude and kindness, and those are values I try to instil into the children at school.'
His parents would often go hungry themselves. 'On a Friday, we would have fish and chips but we could not afford enough for four so we would have one portion, and my dad would cut it into four. Often our parents would go hungry but they would say we just do not feel like eating much today.' Eventually, Raj's parents found work and saved up to get a two-bedroom house in Aston. 'We always knew the value of education would help us to have a better life. Education took me out of poverty. I always wanted to be a headteacher to help students, especially disadvantaged students.'
The Free Friday Food Market
The school is just a few minutes walk from New Street Station, and many of its students are from disadvantaged backgrounds. In fact, more than 65% receive pupil premiums. Mr Singhs Pizzas kindly donate more than 100 pizzas every week, but even this is not enough, so student volunteers cut them into four and wrap each slice in foil to make them stretch further. Fair Share Midlands provides bags and bags of food each week. Staff members pick up the food, and student leaders volunteer to bag up the products to hand out.
'There are quite a lot of homeless people in Birmingham, and they come and take away some food as well,' explained Raj, who is also executive headteacher at Arena Academy in Perry Beeches. 'They come and mingle with the pupils. Initially, there was a bit of apprehension around this, but because there are staff everywhere, it is fine from a safeguarding point of view. It gives students more of an insight into homelessness in the city, but this was really a by-product. It is more so for other community members to join, and the huge majority are the students who use it.'
Because the market is run by student leaders, there is no stigma around going to the food market. 'We deliberately do not call it a food bank because we do not want anyone to feel embarrassed.'
Beyond Food: Supporting Families Holistically
Raj says he can see his own experiences reflected in the lives of the students around him. As a result, he recognises that poverty is about much more than rumbling stomachs. 'When I went for the role of executive headteacher at City Academy within our trust, I knew about this school and knew that I would be able to relate to the students. I understand what they are going through. It is not just the food angle. It is also anger management or recognising that a child might be misbehaving, or behaving in a certain way, due to underlying issues at home. I have set up a mentoring programme in school and additional programmes to help support families in school.'
Families are invited to the food market each week, but it can be tricky because many cannot get there due to the Clean Air Zone charges or the bus fares. The school is trying to help by arranging free bus passes for parents and inviting them to use the school's washing machine.
What is inside the food bags ranges depending on what the charities donate each week. It can include vegetables, pasta, cereal, yoghurt, milk, bread, and snacks. 'One time we had hundreds of parsnips, and the students were asking what they were going to do with them,' he said. 'Each week I send a newsletter to families, so I try to let them know what their children will be coming back with and include some recipe ideas for them to utilise them. The pizza is very popular, and we are very grateful to Mr Singhs for providing it. We get good feedback, with lots of families come back to say thank you. It is good to see it is working.'
