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A NEW education pledge aims to remove financial barriers for students.
Launched by Co-op Academies Trust, the "Fair Deal" sets out a Trust-wide promise to ensure all pupils can fully participate in school life, regardless of family income.
The scheme was launched at Co-op Academy Belle Vue in Manchester on Friday, September 25.
Steve Brice, regional director at Co-op Academies Trust, said: "We know schools cannot solve child poverty, but we do have power to remove some of the barriers that children experience because of it.
"The question for us is: what can we do with the authority we have?
"That means looking at the things that can make a child feel different because of their family's circumstances."
The Trust, which serves more than 23,000 students across 40 academies, has set out practical expectations covering uniform, food, school trips, equipment, and enrichment, as well as less visible barriers related to poverty.