Geordie woes

We read :-

One third of children in Newcastle live in poverty.
A quarter of Newcastle’s children are registered for free school meals
A quarter of children in council-run schools in Newcastle have special educational needs
One third of children in the city is overweight or obese.

Children are more likely to live in poverty if their parents are out of work, if someone in their family is disabled, if they have a lot of brothers or sisters and if they come from an ethnic minority background. The concern is that living in poverty as a child makes it more likely that you will continue to be poor as an adult. Poor children are less likely to get the skills and qualifications which will help them get a job and break the poverty cycle.

Newcastle has some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in England. Neighbourhoods considered more deprived are mainly along the River Tyne and in the centre. In these areas, youngsters are less likely to do well at school and are more likely to have poor health.