Amy Wareham, head teacher at a primary school in Essex, believes the national free breakfast club scheme for pupils is “indicative of society.” This program started as one of the pilots in 750 schools throughout England. Its main goal is to provide tens of thousands of parents with 30 minutes of free morning childcare. The pilot program is set to continue through July. Beyond that, we hope to see a much wider adoption of the scheme.
At Newport Primary School which serves about 160 pupils, only about 30 children have signed up to use the breakfast club they just introduced. That’s an amazing 575% increase in participation! Before they had obtained the funding, only five or six students were coming to the school’s breakfast club. Wareham noted the growing demand for earlier childcare options, stating, “There was a demand for an earlier provision – we have some families that work in London, so they can get on the train and get into town.”
The purpose of the initiative is to promote family stability in the wake of shifting realities, such as two-parent families where both parents work. By the English government’s own admission, these breakfast clubs are a crucial part of the plan to tackle growing child poverty. Over 20 primary schools in Essex, such as Newport Primary School in Uttlesford District Council located near Saffron Walden, have taken part in the pilot scheme.
Borbala Anderson, mother of one of the students, told the BBC she was thrilled with the new breakfast club. “Making sure she gets the right start for the day – cereal, a nice sandwich, some fruit – it can really kick-start a good day for her,” she said. She emphasized the importance of breakfast for her child’s special needs. It’s really important for her to get a good breakfast in her,” she said, “More than anything, she’s a very selective eater.
Though the scheme had obvious merits, Wareham raised issues with regard to funding. Her school hasn’t even seen their start-up payment which is supposed to help pay for the equipment and materials needed to launch a breakfast club. “We need to be able to have that funding because we already have very stretched budgets,” she noted.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, echoed Wareham’s concerns about funding adequacy, asserting that “the funding for the breakfast club scheme isn’t sufficient.”
Bridget Phillipson, a shadow education secretary, said free breakfast clubs offer more than just academic benefits. “Free breakfast clubs are at the heart of our Plan for Change, making working parents’ lives easier and more affordable, while breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child.”
The pilot scheme is now in full swing, and teachers and parents are both anxious to see the outcome. They want it to enhance children’s everyday lives and improve their educational experiences and results. Wareham concluded with a poignant observation on the importance of breakfast in education: “How can you concentrate on your timetables, learning your phonics, doing your writing, taking part in a PE lesson if you’ve got an empty stomach?”
