Social, cultural and economic factors shaping children's learning and development

This chapter explores how children are learning and development can be impacted when there are issues relating to social, cultural and economic capital including poverty, care and education and family. It considers inequality as a crucial factor in how individuals and groups are portrayed in and by society. The chapter also explores how children's education can be affected by living in relative poverty, and other factors that impact on learning and development, including the quality of care and education settings, and the gender of the child. Legislation reinforces ways in which the government plan to tackle issues such as child poverty structurally. Poverty affects 1 in 4 children in the United Kingdom, which equates to 9 children in a classroom of 30. Growing up in poverty affects both the short and long-term well-being of a child due to poor housing, health problems, limited participation in society and underachieving in education.