School Days 2025
Now in its third year, School Days is about more than pencils and backpacks, it’s
Now in its third year, School Days is about more than pencils and backpacks, it’s about helping children walk into school feeling confident, included and ready to learn.
For many children, not having the right uniform, shoes, backpack, stationery or PE kit can make school a daily challenge. It can mean standing out for the wrong reasons, missing out on activities or experiencing bullying and stigma. These are barriers no child should face.
We aim to removes those barriers. By providing the essentials, we help children feel like they belong, boost confidence in the classroom and allow them to focus on learning.
As demand grew, we supported 32% more children than in 2024, reaching 7,424 children across 4,074 families. Our 2025 support included:
School uniform remains one of the most requested forms of support, helping children to attend school feeling included and ready to learn. This year, we provided:
Each of our school bags is thoughtfully prepared and filled with the essentials children need, including a water bottle, notebook, pens and pencils, colouring supplies, highlighter pens, an eraser, ruler, pencil sharpeners, a pencil case and an activity or puzzle book. Secondary school bags also include a scientific calculator and maths set.
This year, we provided
Our long-term local charity partner, Sal’s Shoes, once again helped ensure children could start school in well-fitted, suitable footwear by providing brand-new school shoes and trainers. Having the right shoes can make a huge difference to a child’s comfort, confidence and ability to fully take part in the school day.
This year, we distributed
Our partners see first-hand what happens when children don’t have the essentials they need for school and the difference that timely support can make.
Without this provision, 60% of partners felt families would have gone without some items altogether or been forced into debt to cover the cost and half believed children would have had to attend school with unsuitable items. As one partner shared:
The parent would have had to borrow money from family, or not pay their bills, to afford the uniform.
The impact of receiving support goes far beyond practical items. 75% of partners told us it had a significant impact on children’s wellbeing and sense of inclusion.
That confidence carries into the classroom. 82% of partners felt the support contributed very significantly or quite a lot to children’s school engagement and attendance.
Perhaps most powerfully, the benefits are felt across the whole household. 92% of partners said parental or carer worry was reduced, 55% said families could redirect limited resources to other essentials and 75% reported children were happier and more confident.
As demand for School Days continued to grow, so did the way we delivered support. This year, deliveries became an even more vital part of how we reached families. In 2024, we delivered School Days referrals to 1,792 families; in 2025, that number rose to 2,746 families, supporting 4,509 children. By delivering directly, we saved our referral partners valuable time and costs, helping them support as many families as needed without additional pressure.
We also expanded our pop-up shop model where families had the chance to attend in person, try on items and choose what each child needed. Stock was delivered in advance and any surplus collected to prevent waste.
In 2025, we supported 14 pop-up events across 7 primary schools, 1 secondary school, and community settings including baby banks, foodbanks, a community hub and a mental health and wellbeing centre.
School Days wouldn’t be possible without our incredible volunteers, who give their time, energy and care to support children in our community. Throughout the year, regular volunteers and corporate groups helped sort pre-loved uniform, make up referrals and prepare school bags. One volunteer said:
Just blown away by the scale of the need in the local community. The work Stripey Stork do is amazing!
We were proud to involve young people too, from Duke of Edinburgh participants to students from Woodfield School, offering supported volunteering that builds skills and confidence. Local schools also joined in – notably Reigate Grammar School, which celebrated its 350th anniversary by pledging 350 school bags and spending a day volunteering.
In total, volunteers contributed 2,747 hours to School Days in 2025, helping clean, check, sort, and pack items and supporting referral partners, ensuring thousands of children start school ready, confident, and included.
In 2025, we worked more closely with schools and their staff to make sure families facing hardship could access the practical support they needed. With the cost-of-living crisis putting pressure on households and other support services stretched thin, schools were often the first to spot children struggling.
We received referrals from 144 schools, up from 86 in 2024, and supported 3,829 families via schools, compared to 1,917 the previous year.
Alongside this, our donation drives collected high-quality, pre-loved school uniform from families, schools, PTAs and community groups. Many schools have more unbranded stock than they can sell or store. Through School Days, these items were repurposed, helping children start school fully equipped while reducing waste.
Moving forwardWith your continued help, we can ensure that even more children walk through the school gates feeling confident, included and ready to thrive.
There are lots of ways you can support the School Days campaign including;
If you are a professional working with families who need support with school essentials, please see our referrals page.
Now in its third year, School Days is about more than pencils and backpacks, it’s
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As the sleigh bells fade into the distance and Santa and his reindeer head back