Free School Breakfast

[Espresso25]

I’m irrationally irritated at the comments on social media about the free school breakfast that are being rolled out.

Comments like “we didn’t get that help in my day” FO Barbara it’s a bit of cornflakes and toast.

I just can’t understand the outrage, anybody who begrudges kids breakfast is just awful IMO.

FWIW it’s not reached my kids school so I don’t benefit, we don’t get child benefit in our household - we’re doing ok. But I’m quite happy for my taxes to feed other kids of all the waste of public money I just can’t get upset about this. Think you must have to be inherently selfish to.

It’s free childcare not free breakfast. If there was an intent to help nutritionally then a free after school meal - say at 4.30pm - meat and 3 veg would actually help children nutritionally, not some cheap toast or cereal. The feckless parents who aren’t up to feed their kids breakfast aren’t going to get their kids to school in time for this free food, and free cereal and UHT milk is a food bank staple.
It is VAT on private schools which is funding this “free” breakfast / childcare . A tax on schools like my DD where almost every child is there because they have SEN and their needs weren’t being met in mainstream but they can cope in their school which is set up for their needs, the parents are already paying fees for what their child should be receiving for free in state - an education that meets their needs - and are now being taxed an extra 20% for this as it’s a “luxury”. My DD is in a class of 8 - they all have SEN but don’t qualify for EHCPs as our county won’t diagnose or treat dyslexia, won’t assess for autism unless you are violent and waits for an ADHD assessment is years

My experience is that then kids will get themselves there in time to have the food, in the most chaotic families, after about 8yo. Which makes these clubs a good way of getting those children into school.

Most of the time the kids who come to schools hungry aren't on benefits. It tends to be a working / middle class problem in most state schools which I imagine is why the government wants to fix it - because they're the ones who'll show rapid improvements in their grades as a result.

It's just another government gimmick. They're absolutely obsessed with every child being in school for the first eighteen years of their lives, forcing them into a box that doesn't fit everyone, and destroying every possible opportunity of alternatives being available.

As an early years provider, I was already at what I thought was the end of my tether with that woman, after the funding fiascos and slamming us in the media ... but then they showed the actual breakfast club and it was all white bread, beans and juice - three things that were released in new guidelines for PVIs this very week as not being allowed.

It's populist, headline-grabbing nonsense. Nobody wants kids to go hungry and everyone understands that a good education is fundamental. But how are schools going to fund this (staffing etc), are school buses going to get kids to school for breakfast time or school for the start of the school day? Why is it universal when the winter fuel payment is means tested? Schools are cutting teachers and teaching time due to the pressure they are under, I cannot see this being implemented in the right way

I think it’s a good idea in theory. I could never feel bad about a child getting a free meal, especially as part of a scheme designed for the poorest kids in society. The number of children living in poverty is small but not zero and this shouldn’t be happening in 2025.

My question is who is going to make this happen. Teachers already do unpaid work after school and have to take summer jobs to up their salaries. Now will they have to go to work earlier to oversee breakfast too? I do a hobby with lots of teachers and the majority of them seem so burnt out

the number of children living in poverty is small? it was estimated at around 30% last year I wouldn't say that's small and as col keeps increasing so will that %

I feel like most people are missing the point. The free breakfast clubs are aimed at working families to enable working parents to save approx £500 a year and 95 hours in which they can be potentially a work or enroute to work for. Some working families can not afford wrap around care especially if there's more than one child. The extra added benefit to this scheme is that children who are coming to school without breakfast can eat for free. This has the potential to help more than just working families. This will also hopefully ultimately put more money into the economy and help boost it.

Personally my dc have been in wrap around care and breakfast clubs since they started school. Dc refuse thee food on offer.they don't like it. So have breakfast at home before school. On the off occasion they like something they may have a bit. Otherwise, it's just childcare for us.

Oh I thought it was more like 15%! Must have been an outdated stat. 30% is huge to my mind. I don’t see how people can be against the indicative even more now, unless it’s just the practical aspects

Most schools have not started this and won't. There is not enough funding to pay for it so it will be cancelled soon enough. Some schools like my own already have free breakfast clubs but they are for pupil premium children, Greggs do a scheme where they fund the food that's provided to the children. It still needs to be staffed. Schools can not cover costs to staff free breakfast clubs for ALL children it's not feasible and this is a non starter.

Thank you for doing that. My MIL was a teacher (retired now) in quite a deprived area and she always said some of the kids lunches would break my heart. She said one child had a toothpaste sandwich and it wasn’t unusual for a child to have a singular slice of bread as their entire pack lunch.

I think the wrap around funding approaxh is well intentioned but I'd actually like to see more funding for better quality, nutritious school dinners, especially for those who struggle to afford them. The cut off for a free school meal is so low that many children of parents that genuinely can't afford a hot dinner simply miss out.

I heard a presenter on LBC a couple of nights ago who kept referring to the 'staff needed to cook these breakfasts'. I thought,so they're going to be getting a full English?' 😂

Yes I see the point.

I work in local authorities and see money wasted on alsorts. I can’t get cross about this particular scheme.

i wondered when someone would bring up the winter fuel payment - I don’t understand the argument that it’s a parents job to feed your kids but the governments to heat you home. We live in a house and get letters for the lady who was here previously and her winter fuel payment - makes me smile the house was a B&B and is huge - the help was misplaced. I’d rather a few kids get a slice of toast!

I don’t disagree.

I think the scheme irritates me as its not properly funded from what I can see and it is the easiest meal for parents to provide at home.

The free school lunches for pupil premium children are underfunded and are recognised to be a child main meal and ofteh their onky chance at a hot meal and increasing funding for those Would have been more my priority.

But I assume that cost to much so this is second best.

I think the biggest issue is the children that will benefit would be the kids who were getting breakfast anyway. My kids use breakfast clubs as and when they need it and will continue to in exactly the same way whether is £6.25 per child or free. I use it because I need to, not because it’s free.

Yes, they should make sure these children are having eggs and smoked salmon, lovingly prepared by the gourmet chef on standby in every school.

My DD had it years back, in her first school. That meant I could drop her before going to work. She was at Reception year. She absolutely loved the dinner lady that booked them in. I had not a penny. Me and her father were working staggered shifts to cope. He had just fallen asleep at that time. The club saved us for a few months, till we changed schools. Then we had to pay for a breakfast club, but we saved on commuting costs, so it compensated.
I am more than happy for others to have this help. I actually think all primaries should have both breakfast and after school clubs. The space is there, the building is safe. The building is already heated. They have playing space. They really only need to get the staff to run the clubs.

I think it’s a good idea, I’d pay more tax for this and I don’t have school age DC anymore. I grew up in a really deprived area and seeing what some of school friend’s living conditions were like was heartbreaking.

Only! A lot of schools do have paid afterschool clubs. They charge because it costs to provide the food and staff. My sons charges £4.50 for breakfast club. This scheme will only pay a tiny fraction of that. Where is the rest coming from? School budgets Again! We can't even afford the basics with our pathetic budgets yet we're expected to foot the cost for a hairbrained scheme. I think it's going to fail and not carry on after this pilot, we are certainly hoping so at our school as we can not afford any more loses in our budget. It would be lovely in an ideal world but it's not funded properly and the schools will suffer.

Gosh we've had this is Wales for as long as my 9 year old has been in school! It's brilliant, and nothing but a good thing. It means that parents can get to a job with a 9.00 start without stress (although from 8 - 8.25 costs £1). My kid loves it, but he normally has breakfast number 1 at home first. We also have universal free school lunches at primary, which are also a good thing.

I do not mean that the school has to pay or the school staff has to sort it. But childcare provision in the School would be overall cheaper than in separate premises.
Mine went to an after school club nearby the school. They were picked up, taken there, till 6 pm. I obviously paid for that one. Ensuring, renting, heating and maintaining this other building costs money. It would be cheaper for the club's staff to keep the children in the schools. That is if we want to gather some control on overall childcare costs. I think it is an option to consider. Most schools run sports or other activities straight after school ( like football), which many children join a day per week. My suggestion is a proper after school club till 6 pm, run by a different team, but in the school grounds/ canteen/ kitchen.

I have no clue where our first school got the funding at the time. But it was a proper saving one for us.
I do hope that the government has indeed thought about the financing bit. Because you are right it makes no sense if there is no money to do it. It used to be a given that they had sorted such a thing when they roll schemes out....
But on the overall, I think it would save the country money, get parents to work and keep the kids fed and arriving on time.

YANBU @Espresso25. It's mind boggling that anyone would resent feeding poor children and helping out working parents.🤷‍♀️