Half a million more children will benefit from free breakfasts after the education secretary vowed to ‘power up kids’ by launching 2,000 new clubs.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the aim of the breakfast clubs was to not only give pupils a nutritional start to the day but to give working parents more flexibility with their hours.
There are already 750 free breakfast clubs across the UK but the scheme is set to be expanded from April next year.
Applications have not yet opened for the 2,000 extra schools and further details will be announced on the process in the future, the Department for Education said.
Morrisons, Sainsbury, Weetabix and Magic Spoon have stepped up to put their weight behind the scheme with Phillipson visiting Scott Wilkie primary school in Newham, east London, to launch the new partnerships.
The school is among those already running a club under the Best Start scheme, which offers a healthy breakfast and activities before the bell.
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Metro joined the secretary on her visit, in which she sat down with the breakfast clubbers and chatted with them, staff and parents including dinner staff who she described as ‘absolute stars’.
She told Metro: ‘We have got the first 750 breakfast clubs that are already open and we will start a national rollout from next year it’s about the breakfast but it’s also about the club. It’s important that children get a healthy start to the day. From what I hear from schools and parents is that it helps children settle in.
‘The soft start to the day before they go in really makes a big difference and for parents it means it’s easier for the start of the day, they can get off to work.
‘I spoke to one mum here at the school who said that the morning was less stressful, the children just came in and got a good breakfast and she was then able to get off to work.
‘We want to back families give children a great start to the day. They love having a healthy breakfast but they love the club, they get the chance to do arts and crafts take part in activities including reading. It helps with overall education.’
Sainsbury’s will be providing £200 vouchers to schools while Morrisons will offer free deliveries, which will be particularly beneficial to schools in rural areas where delivery slots can be costly.
Weetabix will slash prices by 15 per cent for school breakfast clubs. Porridge, cereals, yoghurt and toast are among the items on the menu at the clubs. Magic Breakfast, a charity, will also be involved in helping the clubs, the government has said.
The minister added: ‘I’m delighted British companies are supporting our breakfast clubs it will provide welcome extras for the schools free deliveries gift card reduced prices from some suppliers.’
She said she had spoken to celebrity chef Jamie Oliver over the expansion of free school meals, and that he was ‘fully on board’ given his history of consigning over more healthy and affordable food for children.
Silvia Borbea, who works for the NHS and whose daughter Maria, 11, attends the Scott Wilkie breakfast club, told Metro: ‘This club is just fantastic. My daughter sees her friends, gets a nutritional breakfast and poses up for the day. I have to get to work in the NHS so it really helps me as well. It is a wonderful thing and I’m so happy it will be expanded to other schools.’
The partnerships come as the latest research shows more than one in three parents find it difficult to give their child a healthy breakfast before school with time pressures a key obstacle with parents needing to get to work.
Best Start clubs free up 95 hours per year for parents and save them around £450 a year, according to government figures.
Keri Edge, executive headteacher at Scott Wilkie. said: ‘This club has been a great success. The children love it and it gives them a real boost in the morning. It’s been great that the minister has visited. The children were very excited.’
To find out if your school is taking part in the breakfast clubs, search below.
What deals are on offer?
Weetabix: up to 15% discount on cost of Ready Brek and Weetabix when purchased from selected wholesalers for schools to access
Magic Breakfast: a range of discounted products against RRP inclusive of delivery, and an online ordering platform for schools.
Morrisons: offering schools a free anytime delivery pass. Schools will also benefit from a dedicated ‘breakfast clubs’ landing page for online orders to streamline the ordering process.
Sainsbury’s: a £200 gift card for each school.
Further detail on the Free Breakfast Club Programme national rollout will be released later this year.
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