The Education Secretary said 180,000 pupils in England are set to benefit from the scheme which is largely taking place in the most disadvantaged areas of England.
Set to launch at the beginning of April, the pilot scheme, according to The Department of Education, has ‘an important role to play in the government’s commitment to remove the stain of child poverty’.
The programme will allow parents to drop their children off at school 30 minutes before its usual start time, knowing they will be offered a free breakfast. What’s more, one in seven schools involved in the pilot had no before-school provision in place and the rest either have paid-for provision or have their numbers capped.
Under the scheme, the government have claimed schools will be reimbursed based on attendance which means a 50% participation could receive £23,000 a year.
While the news has been welcomed by many, various head teachers have expressed concerns that funding could fall short. The Observer has reported that some headteachers of primary schools declined taking part in the programme because the government are only providing 60p per pupil.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: ‘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 pressures on already strained school budgets.’
Of the areas taking part in the free breakfast club pilot, Devon tops the list as 25 schools are included and is followed by Birmingham with 24. Meanwhile, both Scotland and Wales have established their own programmes to provide free breakfasts to children in primary school.
News of the breakfast club scheme has come amidst concerns the Labour party won’t axe the two-child benefit cap this summer despite most experts and charities claiming it would be the best way to reduce poverty. Introduced in 2017, the limit prevents families from receiving child tax credits or universal credit for more than two children.
Worries have begun circulating as Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing the prospect of having to increase taxes or cut spending due to deteriorating public finances.
Photo by Rachel Park via UnSplash
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