The Empty Lunchbox - The experience of primary schools with students who are homeless

A report by Hanover.

This exploratory study is the first time that the point of view of primary schools and their day-to-day experiences of dealing with student homelessness have been investigated. The findings make an important contribution to the broader evidence base on the detrimental impact of homelessness on children’s education.

Engagement and wellbeing are fundamental to learning. Given that homelessness can interfere with school engagement and wellbeing, it poses a major obstacle to learning. 

The overall objectives of the project were to:

Explore how schools currently identify and work with primary students who are homeless;

1. Explore how schools respond and support students and what difficulties or barriers are encountered; and
2. Identify the most effective ways to support the learning of students who are homeless.

The-Empty-Lunchbox-report_240315_V7.pdf (3MB)