“It's about overt statements. For a school trip one of the first things we would say in messages is: ‘If you would like your child to participate but you are in any way concerned about the cost, please don’t be. Just give me a call or call the child’s guidance teacher.’ So straight away what you are saying is don’t let cost be a barrier.”

Communicating in this way has helped parents to come forward, some of whom the school has been able to offer further support to in the form of referrals to Citizens Advice and the Money Talks service. Key to this is setting the right tone in messages, keeping it clear and consistent and repeating the offer of support regularly.