'No gas, no money and a hungry new baby': The suffering uncovered in Greater Manchester's schools

With the cost of living crisis hitting families hard, the role of schools has become more critical than ever. As parents struggle to make ends meet amid rising costs and low pay, school leaders have been sharing heartbreaking stories of the true impact it's having.

From stepping in to fund the £1 a day breakfast club because families can no longer afford it, to uniform swap shops, schools are at the forefront of the crisis gripping the country.

On top of that they're grappling with their own rising energy bills and putting plans in place for October when 'things are going to get a lot worse'.

Read more: Angry parent hits out after being told pupils can't take sun cream into school

At E-ACT Blackley Academy in Manchester, headteacher James Hughes says families there - almost 60% of whom are entitled to free school meals - have 'always struggled', but admits things 'have got worse'.

A project last year to look at adverse childhood experiences in the community - such as poverty, parents being in prison and death in the family - only highlighted the extent of problems faced by families, largely the impact on mental health.

But he felt that initial pastoral care was merely 'putting sticking plasters' on the issues and without a more proactive approach, they would forever be reacting to immediate problems without ever improving people's situations.

After asking parents about their most common problems, they decided to create a hub at the nearby St Paul's Church - bringing organisations together under one roof, to help with everything from housing and benefits to cooking, foodbanks and budgeting.

One of the key players there is Tunde King, the man who Hughes took on as the school's social and emotional resilience coordinator.