Free school breakfast clubs to start next year with extra childcare for parents

Primary schools are being invited to register for the initial rollout of free breakfast clubs from Wednesday (November 27), as part of the Government's initiative to provide meals for millions of children. A year-long pilot will commence in April, with 750 schools across England selected for this significant expansion of provision.

Parents will benefit from an additional 30 minutes of free childcare at the start of the day, while students will be provided a nutritious breakfast to ensure hunger doesn't hinder their learning. This follows Chancellor Rachel Reeves' decision to triple investment in the plan to £33million for 2025-26 in last month's Budget, which includes additional funding for equipment and staffing to assist early adopter schools in trialling the scheme.

Once the pilot concludes in 2026, free breakfast clubs will be established in every primary school nationwide, potentially being operational later that year. The full implementation would mean approximately 4.6 million children in England's 16,764 primary schools would qualify for a school breakfast.

Currently, only 12% of state schools offer taxpayer-subsidised breakfast clubs through the National School Breakfast Club Programme. At present, only schools in disadvantaged areas are eligible for the programme, where headteachers receive a 75% subsidy from the Government and cover the remaining costs themselves.

Schools Minister Stephen Morgan stated that breakfast clubs could enhance achievement by preventing children from being hungry and distracted in class, as well as reducing absence rates, reports the Mirror.

During a visit to Penwortham Primary School in south London on Tuesday, Mr Morgan told the Mirror: "We're fully committed to breaking the link between background and opportunity - and the first step towards that, we believe, is investing in breakfast clubs in every primary school."

He added: "We know from the research that breakfast clubs make a huge difference in terms of behaviour, on attainment and on attendance. What I've seen today was enthusiastic staff, a committed headteacher who sees the value of investing in breakfast clubs and children that are happy and thriving and ready to start the school day as a result of having food in their bellies."

Ministers view breakfast clubs as an essential strategy in addressing the crisis in school attendance, which has worsened post-pandemic, with one in five pupils now classified as persistently absent. The initiative is also seen as support for parents grappling with soaring childcare costs.

Penwortham Primary has hosted a breakfast club for nearly ten years, with Magic Breakfast providing support since 2023, among other charities that back or run such clubs. The school also provides snacks like bagels and cereal, available to all children at the beginning of the school day.

Deputy head Litsa Anderson commented on the scheme's benefits for families: "For parents it's just one less thing for them to worry about."

Mum-of-two Liz Frain, 43, has praised the breakfast club at her sons' school as a godsend. Sharing her experience, Liz said: "It was great because we could literally get them dressed, get them out of the house in the morning and drop them at the breakfast club."

She highlighted the nutritional value of the meals, noting, "It was a nutritious meal as well. They loved it as they were with all their friends there."

She expressed relief in knowing her children were well-fed before starting their day: "You knew that they were fed and had that sustenance to set them up for the day. It was good, peace of mind."

Willow Bank Primary School's headteacher Abigail Oldfield, located in south London, noted significant improvements, saying, "We've seen a big impact on attendance and punctuality of children, as many of our most vulnerable families now have breakfast every day with us. By offering a healthy breakfast and childcare, it ensures children are in school on time and have energy to learn."

Furthermore, ahead of a broader rollout, a pilot is in place to assess varying needs across different educational environments. Supporting variety in approach, Lindsey MacDonald, Chief Executive of Magic Breakfast, welcomed the move for rigorous testing: "It's vital that the free school breakfast policy set to be rolled out for all primary pupils in England is fit for purpose and will achieve its intended benefits," she stated.

MacDonald stressed the importance of adapting to circumstances: "This requires a variety of breakfast models, as one size does not fit all."

The scheme will only apply in England as education is a devolved matter. Children at state primary schools in Wales already benefit from free breakfasts.

In Scotland, the SNP Government has pledged to introduce free breakfast clubs in all primary schools, although this has not yet been fully realised. The move comes amid growing calls for the UK Government to extend free school meal provisions following an independent report that lauded a pilot by London Mayor Sadiq Khan offering free school lunches to all primary pupils, irrespective of their family's income.

The study by the charity Impact on Urban Health found that 84% of parents felt the initiative in London had helped or significantly improved their family budgets. Mr Morgan commented: "Free school meals are an important contribution to tackling disadvantage in communities and in schools. I'm always keen to learn from what's happening across the country and I have met with Sadiq's team and have looked at the research."

He added: "Right now, in light of the fiscal inheritance that we have, our focus is on breakfast clubs and that's because the research tells us it contributes to improving behaviour, attendance and attainment. But I'm always open to ideas, there's always more I'm keen to do."