Two Salford schools have been named amongst 750 others to offer free breakfast clubs for pupils as the government pushes ahead with its flagship scheme.
Both St Joseph the Worker RC Primary School and New Park Academy have been listed with other schools across every region of England, which is expected to run from April before a national rollout.
The schools chosen for the trial are expected to offer a free breakfast to all pupils and at least 30 minutes of childcare before school.
The £7 million “early adopters” scheme – which will test the delivery of the programme ahead of a wider national rollout in England that was announced at Labour’s party conference in September.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the clubs would help to break the link “between background and success” for families “all over the country”.
“Alongside our plans to roll out school-based nurseries and get thousands more children school-ready, this Government is delivering the reforms needed to give every child, wherever they grow up, the best start in life,” she said.
And this was expressed by Headteacher, Almut Bever-Warren from New Park Academy, who said: “A much higher than average number of children and young people in our school come from deprived areas and/or are on free school meals.
“Being part of the breakfast club pilot allows our school to offer a more substantive breakfast before lessons begin, giving your students the best possible start to the day and increasing their ability to focus on learning.”
She continued: “We also expect a reduction in the frequency of early morning incidents, as our students will have the opportunity to discuss over breakfast what may have happened the night before, or even first thing in the morning, allowing them a ‘soft landing’ to the school day.”
The decision will see 750 clubs across the country participate in the trial, and the expansion of breakfast clubs has been welcomed by the headteachers’ union, which some schools already run.
However, the union has expressed concerns that funding would fall short of the cost, as Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT shared.
“It will be crucial that these concerns are addressed before the programme is rolled out across the country to ensure that it does not place further pressure on already strained school budgets, and that children and families can fully reap the benefits.”
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