Free breakfast clubs for ALL primary school children? Why?

[Safi7]

I’ve been overseas since the election so a bit out of the loop, but is it true that Labour are going to make it standard that all primary schools must now offer free breakfasts to all children, regardless of need?

Fair enough for children from deprived families - but all children?

Where is the money for this coming from?

Are Labour actually saying that in 2024, its now to much to expect parents to actually bother to feed their own children breakfast? This responsibility can just be pushed onto schools instead - as if they haven’t got enough on? Teachers are leaving in droves as it is. Du much is out in them - the jobs is becoming more like social work in too many cases. Who will staff these breakfast clubs and make sure kids are actually eating?

Surely this is just encouraging lazy parenting - ie parents who can well afford cereal / toast / eggs etc it but just won’t bother if their kids can eat at school instead. Plus children will be dumped at school earlier than necessary, just because parents can now get away with it?

Surely it’s better to direct resources where they are actually needed, rather than turn schools into free cafes? Makes no sense.

Increasing to p6 this year too in Scotland. People who don't need or want it don't always take it. Feed your kids instead of funding nuclear weapons and illegal wars.

I don't see how on earth they can offer this in practice - my kids' primary has a capacity of 40 for wraparound care and there are huge waiting lists for both breakfast and after school club.

But I have to rely on my slightly unreliable ex husband to get to my house for 7.45am 2 days a week so I can get to work on time. If this was offered it would be a huge stress off my shoulders tbh. For me it's not about the money, it's about availability. My 9 year old in particular struggles going into school as it's so busy and overwhelming in the morning. A promise of some food might make the difference there 😅, particularly if they offer something like Nutella on toast which I don't tend to give at home.

of course I think I was a great SAHM!

My children DID go to pre-school! Half a day Monday to Friday which we paid for. I took them and collected them. We also went to toddler groups.

when I did go back to work it was part time.

It’s great that your child is potty trained and can dress herself. You’ve done a good job there. Unfortunately a lot of the children coming to my school are dropped at a childminder between 7 and 8 am, picked up by the childminder and collected by parents between 6 and 7 pm then go to bed. These children hardly see their parents and there isn’t time to do things like potty training, learning how to self dress, learning how to use a knife and fork etc. the child minders try but they have several children at a time.

How? That info isn’t even available to most of our staff!

It's not the experience that I've had and the research doesn't bear it out.
I suppose it depends on the quality of the childcare but the nursery did a lot in terms of reinforcing our potty training methods and also having time and patience to allow her to learn to do things like putting on her shoes and socks independently whereas often at home we're running out of the door and it's easier to just do it for her.

At the very least, children who have been at nursery have learned how to use a knife and fork and sit at a table. Early childhood education at it's best, as in my daughter's case, means they've taught her to write her name, the whole alphabet phonetically, and even some simple sewing.

You obviously had a fantastic nursery.
My children also started school able to write their names, knew the alphabet, could count (DD higher than DS but he has special needs) but I admit I hadn’t taught either of them any sewing at that point. I did teach them to sew just not before they started school.
I think we can both agree that we gave our kids good starts. Mine are adults now and they both shine, in their own ways. Maybe they would have liked a “richer” childhood with foreign holidays etc. but I’m happy with the choices we made.

This. Poor staff

Exactly. People don't realise that cuts will have to be made to fund this as the government never fully funds these things....

Nutella contains nuts... most schools won't be offering it 😅

Bit of projection here.

I think the idea of breakfast clubs for all is just flack. The government will not remove the two-child benefit cut (with it's lovely rape clause). Giving everyone's children breakfast is a con.

How is there any projection here? I'm not a SAHM. I just know a lot of SAHMs. I think most of the SAHMs I know would probably admit that they feel constantly overwhelmed and struggle to keep a routine or motivation and end up doing less with their kids than they had hoped. I know a few exceptions who really are supermums, sparkling clean houses and always finding educational and developmentally appropriate activities for their kids and managing to consistently do that day-in day-out. I have no problem admitting that without the routine of work and nursery, I'd fall into the first category and fall into inertia.

Currently adds breakfast club costs us around £100 per month, wehave to use it as we both start work at 8:30am, she loves going and I know for at least one of her friends it means she starts school on time and she actually eats, because she will eat when sitting with her friends but refuses food at home and refuses to go straight into the classroom at 9am.

We have another child in nursery and because of the nursery and wraparound costs we spend more than we earn every month, even though we’re in professional jobs paid above NMW, so a saving of £100 a month will be very welcome.

It’s a completely unworkable policy… apart from that fact that it works just fine in a huge number of schools in Wales that have been doing this for years, including my DCs primary school

Yes, it makes me think this proposal will go the way of Sure Start centres; namely, the ‘wrong’ parents will be the ones who make the most use of it.

It breaks my heart whete the good enough threshold. I know a lot about this.

Removal is a last resort and not something ti be flippant about.

Not feeding your children is neglect though. We live in a country with free contraception so children are a choice, social housing and excellent benefits. Its inexcusable to not feed a child when basic breakfast items are cheap.

By making it free to all it means that families who may usually be ok can tap into it if needed. There will be some families not eligible for FSM who get by most months but if the washing machine, car, boiler breaks then things get very tight & uncomfortable which can lead to kids not getting the nutrition they need.

You are all so privileged and blind sighted. So many kids are going to school with no breakfast, due to either poverty or poorly educated/bad parenting, and their own education is obviously affected. Teachers are either buying breakfast themselves or putting up with "hungry" kids who cannot concentrate. It's cheaper and easier to offer free breakfast to all in terms of administration. It's a good thing!!!

Do you genuinely think that parents who do not need it are going to be getting up earlier than they need to and getting their kids to school earlier than necessary for the opportunity of a slice of free toast or a few free cocoa pops??

People will be using it because they need to, either for childcare or for the free food.

Even in my daughter's infants school where every single child is entitled to a free meal due to age, there are still plenty of them that bring in packed lunches.

Just because it's there, doesn't mean it's going to get abused. Have a little faith.

@Alwaystired2023 I'm so sorry, that was supposed to be a general comment, not aimed at you!

Oooh that would put me off. Nutella all over their white school shirts!! 😄

DGS goes to breakfast club a few times a week because his parents working hours overlap and he needs childcare.

This would probably help a large number of working parents.

Fair enough for children from deprived families - but all children?

Why punish children just because their family is not deprived? It's not a child's fault they've been brought into a non-deprived family. We need to treat all children equally and stop punishing some based on their family circumstances.

Most people can afford to have children, when they have them.

There are many ways to become a parent and not all of those are a case of get a career, buy a house, have children.

One of my neighbours was 19 when she took on her 3 nephews. I've lost touch since she moved but what 19 year old is in a secure financial position?

The children already existed, the 19 year old is saving you a fortune on fostering fees (you do not get paid to foster family) there are people like her up and down the country.

@orangesandlemonssaythebellsofstclements oh gosh no worries - I totally agree with your points