Families and children across England will soon be able to benefit from free, daily breakfast clubs. The government have just confirmed the first 750 schools who will be offered these free clubs as part of a greater scheme where 180,000 pupils in the most disadvantaged communities will be able to access free breakfast. Yes that's right, free breakfast.
The first phase of the scheme is set to start in April and offer the free service to schools known as 'early adopters' based across nine regions in England. The aim is to learn from these schools before rolling it out and expanding the programme.
All primary aged children in these schools will be able to access a free breakfast and at least 30 minutes of free childcare. This will have a huge impact on parents, especially working parents who will now be able to drop their kids off to school earlier before work, safe in the knowledge that their children will be fed and set-up for the school day ahead.
A breakfast club briefing from 2017 by the Department of Education (DfE) found that breakfast clubs can help improve pupils’ behaviour. "By reducing hunger with the introduction of a breakfast club, classroom behaviour can be improved. As well as helping individual pupils, having the routine of a breakfast club means pupils generally settle better into class and are more ready to learn, which impacts both on the pupils attending breakfast club and on the whole class." More importantly the research pointed out that pupils understand the link themselves.
So, as well as helping families with the rising cost of living, this scheme also hopes to help children thrive academically by providing breakfast, as well as a little socialisation before the school day kicks in.
The initiative is also a big step in the government's efforts to end child poverty and making sure no child starts school hungry. Around 67,000 primary school children set to get help are from disadvantaged areas which will be a huge help for struggling families.
Schools were chosen from across England to ensure the scheme learns from a variety of locations, including those that do not currently run a breakfast club, plus the government are paying for everything so it won't cost a penny.
What will children get for their breakfast?
All breakfast offered will meet the School Food Standards. The responsibility will be down to the school, who will be able to choose and order the food products and quantities they need for their pupils.
Guidance from the DfE offers examples of what food should be offered at the breakfast clubs. This includes starchy carbohydrates, low sugar, higher fibre cereals, fruit, drinking water. It's reassuring to also see that the guidance also highlights what items that are not permitted under the school food standards such as packaged cereal bars, processed fruit bars, pre-packaged croissants, and chocolate-coated products.
What if my school isn't part of the scheme?
A full list of the first 750 'adopter schools' where the programme is being rolled out can be seen here. These schools are testing the programme to ensure it works effectively for everyone. This is just the first phase of a national roll out which will soon see free breakfast clubs in every primary school in England.
Keya Modessa, is our Senior Digital Writer and brings over a decade of experience from the digital realm to Mother&Baby. As a mother of two, Keya understands the joys and challenges of modern parenthood and uses her own experience, to give practical advice. Keya has worked across national publications including glossy women's mags, Food and Travel, and more recently as digital lead for Muddy Stilettos.