To think that funding free breakfast clubs is wrong-headed?

Why wouldn't they ? Poor parents still care about their children.

Those who parent badly might not but even rich people can be awful parents.

Why is that wrong?

How would that work then? One with children retaining information. Two, with the fact there is a chronic teacher shortage in England. The country has already burnt through the profession and desperation is now sinking in as they aren’t training enough to plug gaps. Who and where is this extra half an hour coming from?

In today's society, often both parents need to work 9-5 to keep a roof over the children's heads. Also, there are a lot of very poor parents out there, who simply don't have the skills to parent effectively.

What needs to happen is the following:
-Fully funded before AND after school clubs so that between the hours of 8 and 5:30, the option is there for the children to be 'parented' by professionals before, during and after school.

• Surestart centres and parenting classes to return to support struggling parents.

All of this requires funding. If the government really cared about getting women working, and preparing the next generation, loads more money needs to be invested into schools, wraparound care and parenting in between.

Unfortunately what's happening is the government is yet again putting the pressure on schools to pick up the slack in societal services without sufficient funding, forcing more teachers out of the profession, and then the children end up worse off overall.

OP, do you work within the education sector?

Wraparound care includes activities. Kids don't just eat for 1.5h.

Government is to fund free breakfast clubs for all primary school children. This doesn't strike me as the best use of money for schools; I imagine there are better things to spend money on that would be of greater educational benefit to children

Our school has a breakfast club, its free depending on circumstances. Breakfast is an array of cereal and fruit. Every morning several members of staff stand at the entrances with warm bagels in a box for all the children at the school and I always see them offering them to younger siblings who don't attend school yet.

I know several children who benefit from it. Some of these kids don't get breakfast at all. Some of them get 20p noodles for their tea every night.

Depending on your area, some children really do live in poverty,it's awful. My DC are 10 and 8 and are unusual for not having fillings, not having teeth pulled ect.

Our school has a washing machine / dryer to wash some of the children's clothes and in the younger classes they get the children to brush their teeth after lunch. Every so often the whole school go home with toothbrushes/toothpaste ect.

I know so many children who would be negatively impacted if our school didn't provide breakfast ect for them ( I don't work at the school)

Children who receive FSM do get vouchers in the holidays, as well as HAF camp access, a lot of schools also provide uniform vouchers to PP pupils.

As a former secondary teacher in a good school in a nice area I can tell you almost half of the kids I taught in Sixth Form didn't have breakfast before leaving for school. I used to make toast for 20 p a slice and hot chocolate for 50p a cup at break time and any money made went into the Sixth Form fund. I got through 3 loaves of bread every day. That's how many DC didn't have breakfast. I'd also give a few kids free breakfast for helping me as I knew their families had little money. Kids can concentrate far better when their blood sugar doesn't get too low.

My kids school never leave a kid hungry, they always keep food for those who haven't had anything. Though of course that relies on the child telling the teacher they're hungry.

I think it's yet another government 'initiative' that is supposed to sound good but in reality just heaps more pressure on the front line - how to provide a breakfast club for 63p per child when already stretched to the brink.

@Maitri108 but she could afford a can of coke and packet of crisps - that’s not poverty that’s stupidity

Not another half hour of teaching! - these children get far too much of it already!
Let them have a sociable breakfast together.

What the government should really be doing is finding Sure Start again to help struggling young families where parenting skills are lacking through deprivation.

That's a good thing isn't it? Some people find it difficult to find a job that works around school drop off times. This is a great way to help people back into work whist also ensuring all kids are fed. The concept is brilliant, it's win/win... whether it's achievable is another thing.

People who think it’s about helping poverty are frankly, gullible. It’s a hugely uncosted and underfunded policy. To the point schools can’t afford to run it. It’s about getting mothers mainly, back into work when the welfare cuts start coming in. No arguments about little Johnny and the school run. Breakfast clubs for all means you can and will work.

The children who really need it won’t attend. Parents stuck in a cycle of neglect won’t be getting up for anyone. Let alone for a free breakfast provided by someone else.

My concern would be that the parents who are too chaotic to provide breakfast probably won’t get their kids to school early enough for breakfast club. As someone else pointed out, breakfast is a cheap meal, and I doubt it’s cost that is stopping kids eating it at home. It’s more likely that parents don’t get up in time to prepare something. Coke and a bag of crisps is far more expensive than cereal, especially if the cereal comes from a food bank.

Definitely a waste of money, in this economy, as was free school lunches for everyone. Should be means tested with school discretion to give breakfast to others who don't meet the criteria but are struggling

The money could be used to provide free school uniforms? Food vouchers for the half term and school holidays

Such a silly idea

What @TickingAlongNicely says. It would be a good scheme if it was properly funded.

Similarly, the pay rise for teachers would be good if it was properly funded, but it's not so it's just going to cause strikes and disruption. I don't know why the government is so determined to believe that schools have a bunch of extra money available. If they did then SEND and EAL provision would be better than it is.

This. Hungry children can't learn.

Kids coming to school on time, not being hungry, improves behaviour which is good for everyone.

Being universal reduces stigma and increases uptake plus cut off of eligibility for free school meals is a cliff edge with people just above still struggling

I think it’s less about providing food, and more about providing wraparound care.

Every parent I know has an absolute nightmare with wraparound care.

The school day bears little resemblance to the working day, pre and post school care difficult to find and often expensive,

Even an extra 30 minutes at the start of the day is a massive help in parents getting g to work on time.

They have had this off and on for about 25 years .it was 10 pence in the 90s my son would eat breakfast at home about twice recommend portion of cereal toast yogurt and take fruit to munch .but they served tea and coffee while I only offered hot / cold milk .at first I was mortified and phoned school but was nicely informed they know those who need and those who are just chancing there luck .they just used to give him his small coffee a bit toast .and he was happy .but you are correct it was a blessing for getting to work or other kids to nursery on time so yes that may be there plan