Sharneyford Primary School, located on Todmorden Road in Bacup, has decided to withdraw from a nationwide breakfast scheme due to financial constraints. The school, which accommodates 70 children, was one of 14 schools in Lancashire participating in the initiative. The scheme, involving 750 schools across the country, aims to provide more options for parents at the beginning of the working and school day, while also returning funds to parents through subsidized meals.
The government has allocated 78p per meal for children who qualify for free school meals under the scheme. However, this amount falls short of covering the costs associated with food and staffing, raising concerns from the school's head teacher, Sarah Smith. Despite recognizing the importance of such initiatives in enhancing children's life chances, Ms. Smith highlighted the financial challenges faced by the school.
"We're a very small school, so budget is incredibly tight for us anyway," Ms. Smith stated.
The head teacher further explained that the existing financial support does not adequately meet the expenses incurred.
"The difficulty is, although we are getting 60p per child and 78p per free school meal child, it's not enough to cover the cost in terms of staffing, the food, resources, et cetera," she added.
Despite the potential benefits of the scheme, Sharneyford Primary School finds itself unable to sustain participation without compromising its financial stability.
"To then put ourselves in an ever more vulnerable position is just not viable for us," Ms. Smith emphasized.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has acknowledged the ongoing financial challenges faced by parents and emphasized her commitment to collaborating with school leaders to ensure effective implementation of the scheme. The initiative is designed to enhance children's opportunities by providing essential support at the start of each day.
"Ideas like this are vital to our children," Ms. Smith noted.
