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.

I don't disagree with the breakfast club. I think it's a good thing! I just don't agree when people say working parents still can't afford any breakfast for their kids.

We could easily afford early morning childcare, even on one wage, but having a free breakfast club would be really appealing to me (esp as I'm changing careers) as if I only needed 10 mins childcare but had to pay for the full morning slot this would wind me up.

Teachers wouldn't be staffing it, not our job. We don't even technically do lunchtime duty (unless voluntary or paid in dinner credit etc).

I would probably feed my kids at home tbh and just take advantage of the childcare.

Crazy. Schools are inadequately funded for the most basic resources and THIS is the priority? The link to adult productivity will be marginal at best and the idea that parents will suddenly be able to work more is a stretch at best. As I say, if there was money galore then yes, a universal benefit is great but there isn’t.

Because it makes the start to the day easier/less intimidating. Eg. If you have 2 kids, one doesn't want to go in. Oh well should we just to go breakfast club then? OK, oh actually it's not too bad, friend/staff persuades them to stay eg.

My children are grown up now so I don't know how relevant my views are, but my biggest concern about this is what if someone doesn't want to take part? Will children be penalised, or miss out on any part of their education, if their parents prefer not to send them to breakfast club?

FWIW, I was working for most of my children's primary school years, but they never used a breakfast club as such except in year 6 SATS week, when breakfast at school was offered as a treat and they both wanted to take part. At one time they did use a before-school club a couple of days a week, but they had breakfast before they went. It started at 8.15, just in time for me to catch the bus I needed to catch after saying goodbye to them at the school gates.

Staff know. We don't care and we would never tell the kids who is.

It is on spreadsheets as nationally as a group these kids can make less progress and have been a target for teachers and Ofsted for years to 'close the gap' (impossible task for teachers, but the govt has finally realised that). Also we need to know if we are organising things like school-provided packed lunches for trips.

All infant children are entitled to a free meal but it is not income related FSM. Think this is a relatively new thing.

go.walsall.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-in-walsall/school-meals/free-school-meals#infants

As a working parent I used breakfast clubs, about £2, which for food and being looked after for an hour was cheap! The hall was full, mostly of children whose parents had to go to work. It was also strict with times, 8am to 8.15am to drop off. As you said, it's unlikely the type of parents who don't get up early to feed their kids will also not take them earlier for free food sadly. 😒

There is a primary school close to me in a very affluent area (average house price on catchment about £3m). The school is highly rated nationally so lots of local parents use it rather than going private. Pupil premium is under 3%. I know a fair few parents and all think free school lunches is a ludicrous waste of taxpayers money. And now breakfast. Should they all stay for supper too? Why not just save the freebies for the pupil premium families? It can’t be that expensive to administer. 🙄

“Will children be penalised, or miss out on any part of their education, if their parents prefer not to send them to breakfast club?”

Could you elaborate a little on your concerns?

Bloody ridiculous. Why on earth are they wasting money on this (oh sorry, forgot it’s Labour - and they waste money on bloody everything). I can afford to feed my own kids, I don’t need - or want this. There are better things to spend money on in this country

Better than feeding kids who wouldn’t otherwise get any breakfast? It’s not obligatory, just don’t send your child for it if you don’t want it. Job done.

If they are too disorganised to make breakfast they wont get the children there 30 minutes earlier to be fed.

Surely budgeting, nutrition and cooking classes for parents is a better idea

People that believe the CBA theory, probably also can't understand genuine issues around dropping child at school, getting to work b4 9.30 am, not getting a car park space/desk at work and the whole range of issues round leaving in time to collect said child, even for afterschool care getting back in time is stressful.

It’s not about being organised. Food costs money.

My husband came from a ‘high earning family.’ Parents basically useless. Hugely autistic dentist father, lazy, useless socialite mother. His mum would always forget to wash and iron clothes (they are immigrants and had domestic help in home country and simply ‘wasn’t used to housework’) lunches were never made, breakfast never available. His dad earn’t too much so he had no financial help at uni, got into lots of personal debt and went hungry often.

Just because parents earn well doesn’t mean they are capeable or nice people. Means tested should be scrapped.

I agree with you! I was just making a point about the false equivalent the PP was trying to set up (universal benefits for the elderly good, universal benefits for children bad.)

white toast, margarine, fruit, supermarket cereal, all of these are super unhealthy, and contribute to obesity and diabetes. Fruit is ok in moderation, but not large amounts in a day, and not for breakfast.

This is the muck that is churned out in school breakfast clubs

As a teacher, who last year spent about £30 a week feeding my class this is a great idea.

Pupil premium threshold is very low now - about £6000 income. So many families don't qualify.

Thank you ❤️

Hungry children do not learn. If im in a position to feed them, i will xx

It’s not muck, it’s food and much better than empty tummies.

Can’t believe parents want to hand over feeding their children to the state. We have a generous benefits system. Surely anyone can afford porridge.

Nobody who thinks benefits are “generous” has ever attempted to live on them. Not everyone has the facilities to make porridge. It’s a bit “let them eat cake”, isn’t it?