Government extends breakfast club programme

The Department for Education has announced it will continue its breakfast clubs programme for a further two years, with £24 million.

The DfE is now looking for provider to run the scheme in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years.

The breakfast clubs programme is currently run by Family Action and Magic Breakfast.

The DfE's tender documents state that the chosen supplier will be responsible for recruiting schools to participate in the programme from an agreed target list provided, and providing breakfast provision to schools that adhere to the government’s school food standards.

They will also have to design, implement and manage an appropriate and accessible user interface channels to enable schools to order the breakfast provision.

Reacting to the news of the new tender, Alysa Remtulla, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Magic Breakfast, said: "Magic Breakfast welcomes any new funding for school breakfast provision as we continue on our mission to ensure that no child in the UK is too hungry to learn. The funding announced by the DfE today, however, falls short of the proposed School Breakfast Bill which Magic Breakfast is campaigning for. The DfE are proposing to support approximately 2,500 schools with short-term funding, however, we believe there are approximately 8,700 schools in disadvantaged areas of England with children at risk of hunger who would benefit from permanent and secure breakfast funding, as set out in the School Breakfast Bill.  

"Our priority continues to be ensuring that a government funded school breakfast programme includes expert support for schools to ensure that every child at risk of hunger in those schools receives a healthy breakfast, delivered without barrier or stigma. We look forward to examining the DfE tender document more closely over the coming days, to understand the detail behind this funding announcement."

Organisations have until April 16 to bid.