Our Labour government is starting free breakfast clubs in 750 primary schools in England. Yet, this seemingly small move goes a long way to fulfill their campaign promise of providing more accessible, healthy meals for children. This common sense initiative will help advance working families and get children the healthy start to their day. The pilot scheme, which will continue to operate until July, is intended to serve as a test that lays the foundation for a full national rollout.
To facilitate this program, the Labour government has tripled funding to £30 million, demonstrating its commitment to addressing child poverty and enhancing educational opportunities. The Conservative government used to fund more than 2,000 schools with its national school breakfast club program. This effort has definitely set the stage for today’s big expansion.
Devon has quickly emerged as the front-runner among the 25 schools currently in the fledgling program. In second place is Birmingham, the largest local authority in England, just behind with 24 schools participating in the pilot. Schools will receive reimbursements from the federal government based on how many days they attend breakfast clubs. A primary school achieving 50% participation would stand to receive up to £23,000 per year.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson sought to highlight the significance of this surprise move with her statement.
“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.” – Bridget Phillipson
Parents of primary-aged children are especially well served by this programme. They would gain an average of £450 a year in reduced childcare costs. The scheme gives eligible families additional childcare support for up to 95 hours outside of registered care per month. This move is much-needed relief for the financial burden working parents are carrying.
The feedback for the initiative hasn’t all been positive. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, lambasted the announcement of funding levels.
“While we welcome the intentions behind the programme, the initial feedback we are hearing from many school leaders participating in the pilot is that the funding just isn’t sufficient.” – Paul Whiteman
The Labour government has reversed scheduled reforms to child benefit. This major ruling solidifies its commitment to reducing child poverty and guaranteeing that every child has what they need to thrive. That’s where the breakfast clubs come in—an essential part of this strategy. Their goal is to remove barriers that stand in the way of every child finding success.
As the pilot scheme goes along, we look forward to collecting further assessments. These will go on to inform government’s funding and support for breakfast clubs in schools in England.
