Breakfast and summer clubs for disadvantaged pupils

The Department for Education has invested £11.8 million for children from disadvantaged families to attend breakfast clubs, as well as £9 million funding for summer holiday activities.

Around 1,800 school breakfast clubs have been created or improved by the National School Breakfast Programme in disadvantaged areas. With the additional investment, up to 650 more schools will benefit in the next year.

This is part of the government's manifesto pledge to create a £1 billion fund for more high quality wraparound and holiday childcare places.

Thousands more disadvantaged children will also be offered activities and free meals during the six week summer holiday in 2020, funded by £9 million from the Department for Education. The department will announce the areas that will benefit from this funding shortly.

Schools Minister Lord Agnew said: "We want every child to lead a healthy, active and happy lifestyle regardless of their background. That’s why we are giving thousands more children in disadvantaged areas the opportunity to attend a breakfast club, which will help boost attendance, behaviour and attainment, helping them to achieve their best in school.

"Where I want children to succeed, I also want them to grow up happy and confident, ready to take on challenges. Investing in enriching, rewarding summer activities next year will help keep them active and encourage them to get involved in their communities."

Family Action, in partnership with Magic Breakfast, will continue to run the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) until March 2021. This one-year extension will kick-start self-sustaining clubs in schools in disadvantaged areas. So far the two charities have recruited over 1,800 schools in disadvantaged areas, and report that over 280,000 breakfasts are served in these schools every day through the programme.