Prime minister visits Reading to launch free breakfast clubs
He spent time with children and staff at a primary school in Caversham
The prime minister has been in Reading to launch the roll out of free breakfast clubs.
He visited St Anne's catholic primary school in Caversham to see a breakfast club in action.
Sir Keir told us: “They’re very important you saw this morning how much the children enjoy them. They’re getting a decent meal, and they’re getting activity, and that sets them up for the day.
“It gives them a much better chance in terms of learning and for parents it gives them a chance to drop their children off, get to work, if that’s what they’re doing, and saves them a few hundred pounds.
“When the cost of living is the number one issue across the country, these breakfast clubs are really making a difference.”
Parents could save up to £450 a year from the rollout of 500 more free school breakfast clubs in deprived areas, the Government has said.
Primary schools where two in five (40%) or more pupils are eligible for free school meals (FSM) will be able to apply for funding from today to open free breakfast clubs in an attempt to target schools where families are struggling the most with the cost of living.
The Department for Education (DfE) has increased funding for the breakfast clubs by 28% for the average school, it said. This comes after unions said during the pilot stage school leaders were telling them the funding wasn’t sufficient.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “We’re very pleased the Government has listened to feedback from the trial schools and increased the funding for free school breakfast clubs.
“Our own research shows that funding levels are the primary concern for school leaders so this increase should certainly help.”
There will be funding for 500 schools to open the clubs from April 2026, followed by another 1,500 in September. There are 241 eligible schools in the south-east.
The DfE said half a million more children will be served by the free breakfast clubs from April, and they could save parents up to 95 hours in childcare.
More than one in three (38%) of parents surveyed during the pilot stage said they find it difficult to give their child a healthy breakfast before school, the DfE said.
Schools will receive £25 a day for staffing breakfast clubs, and £1 per child.
The per pupil funding has been increased from 60p during the pilot stage for each day of breakfast club attendance. During the pilot stage schools got 78p per pupil for those eligible for FSM, as well as £500 for set up costs and £1,099 termly funding.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Our free breakfast clubs are ensuring over half a million more children don’t start the school day hungry, and save working parents around £450 a year.
“We’re launching this in the parts of the country that need it most — helping to bring bills down for families across Britain.”