The government confirmed today that over 300,000 children are set to benefit from Best Start free breakfast clubs from this Spring, as Labour prioritises support to tackle the cost of living and help parents juggle work and family life.
Schools already enrolled on the programme have served up 7 million meals to date and saved families up to £450 per year, while giving them up to 95 hours of precious time back each morning. Meanwhile, children are benefitting from healthy breakfasts and being in school earlier, with evidence showing improved attendance, attainment and behaviour.
With the government’s free breakfast clubs already proving to be a lifeline for so many, it is now calling on more primary schools to sign up, as new polling reveals nearly half (45%) of parents prioritise schools offering them.
Crucially, the clubs are also helping to cut stigma which still exists, with six in ten (60%) parents more likely to access support when it’s available to everyone.
This comes as data reveals nearly four in ten (38%) single parents feel guilt when accessing free support, compared to 28% of parents raising a family with a partner.
Applications open today for 1,500 schools to join in September, so that 680,000 children will benefit by September.
Backed by £80 million targeting the most disadvantaged areas, the government says the scheme builds on its decisions to prioritise investment to help families with the cost of living, including:
Delivering 30 hours a week of free childcare, saving parents up to £7500
Expanding free school meals to half a million more children
Building school-based nurseries, creating thousands more places
Cutting the cost of branded school uniforms
Scrapping the two-child limit. lifting 450,000 children out of poverty
- Rufford Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham
- Sycamore Academy, Nottingham
- St Ann’s Well Academy, Nottingham
- Djanogly Strelley Academy, Nottingham
- Edale Rise Primary & Nursery School, Nottingham
- Brocklewood Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham
- Springfield Academy, Nottingham
- Warren Primary Academy, Nottingham
- Crabtree Farm Primary School, Nottingham
- William Booth Primary and Nursery School, Nottingham
- Skegby Junior Academy, Nottinghamshire
- Eastlands Junior School (Welbeck Federation of Schools), Nottinghamshire
- Newlands Junior School, Nottinghamshire
- Sunnyside Spencer Academy, Nottinghamshire
- Netherfield Infant School (Welbeck Federation of Schools), Nottinghamshire
- William Lilley Infant and Nursery School, Nottinghamshire
- Hallcroft Infant and Nursery School, Nottinghamshire
- Larkfields Junior School, Nottinghamshire
- Mattersey Primary School, Nottinghamshire
- Misterton Primary and Nursery School, Nottinghamshire
- Orchard Primary School and Nursery, Nottinghamshire
- Holly Primary School, Nottinghamshire
- Wood’s Foundation CofE Primary School, Nottinghamshire
- St Peter’s CofE Primary Academy, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
- The Carlton Junior Academy, Nottinghamshire
- The Carlton Infant Academy, Nottinghamshire
- Hucknall National Church of England Primary School, Nottinghamshire
- Arnold Mill Primary and Nursery School, Nottinghamshire
- Normanton-On-Soar Primary School, Nottinghamshire
