Shiremoor Primary School in Newcastle has opted out of the Government’s free breakfast club initiative, citing financial and logistical challenges. Headteacher Barbara Middleton expressed concerns over the program’s requirements, particularly the need to allocate 30 minutes before lessons for breakfast. She stated that the funding provided did not cover the necessary staffing costs for a safe operation.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer visited a school breakfast club in Manchester and announced the addition of 500 more free clubs. The Department for Education stated that many schools found the scheme feasible. Participating schools receive £25 per day plus £1 per participating pupil from the government to cover food and staffing expenses.
On the other hand, Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School in Co Durham embraced the scheme, despite Headteacher Craig Brown acknowledging that the government funding would not fully cover the program’s costs. The school saw the initiative as a significant improvement over its previous breakfast club, which relied on charitable foundation support.
In contrast, Shiremoor Primary School currently provides every child with a bagel each morning, partially funded by Magic Breakfast charity. Despite this, the government’s program demands that schools hold breakfast clubs for at least 30 minutes before classes start, a logistical challenge for schools like Middleton’s, which would have to accommodate over 300 children in one hall.
Middleton explained that allowing children to eat breakfast in class before lessons was not practical, as teachers needed that time to prepare for the day.