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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Free School Breakfast

86 replies

Espresso25 · 23/04/2025 13:02

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.

OP posts:

whippy1981 · 24/04/2025 17:55

cadburyegg · 23/04/2025 13:17

I have issues with the scheme, not kids getting fed, but everything else.

I suspect it is being funded the same way the “free” nursery hours are in that parents who already pay for wraparound care will have to pay more to subsidise those who are using the funded breakfast club.

The intention behind the scheme is to get parents working longer hours so they can get to work for 9am. Are employers now going to expect their staff to get in for 9am whereas before they were flexible for school runs? That doesn’t benefit the kids.

Who is staffing the clubs, are the school staff being paid extra or are they expected to volunteer for this? Does this mean they have less time to prepare for lessons, does it add to the high workload, do they have less time with their own kids as a result?

Finally, I suspect the kids who would really benefit from it - the ones who are genuinely not being fed - won’t be attending, so the scheme won’t reach the ones in need.

The “parents should feed their own kids” comments are missing the point - it’s not about the food.

This!

It is impacting on learning at our school as the children cannot start their lessons as the classrooms need cleaning and setting up after. So kids missing learning for the sake of some breakfast is a big issue.

whippy1981 · 24/04/2025 17:57

BBDDog · 23/04/2025 13:57

IME it will be run by TAs who will be paid extra and many TAs want the extra hours becuase currently they work a max of 5 hours per day, which doesn't equate tona full time salary.

Show quote history

Meaning kids missing out on support while they wash up and clean up from hundreds of kids eating when the school day starts instead of being in lessons and helping them learn.

sofasoda · 24/04/2025 18:06

Many seem to forget child benefit didn't used to be means tested

notsureyetcertain · 24/04/2025 18:22

I agree with it but maybe they need to look at why we have hungry children in western country.

hazelnutvanillalatte · 24/04/2025 18:32

It's good if the alternative is not eating but ours is really unhealthy, all white toast and bagels with jam

JasperTheDoll · 24/04/2025 18:38

MushMonster · 24/04/2025 17:52

I never get why the school had enough room to sort lunch time for all the children enrolled, but then not enough for breakfast. I am not entirely sure the ratio of children per adult should be six (I think, it was on my days, not sure if that still applies for children over 7. At the end of the day, it is not so in school time. But unfortunatelly, there are restrictions and it cannot be done in all schools.
But I will always be thankful for that time we had it.

Show quote history

Most schools don't have all children eating in the hall at the same time though. They have them spread over different sittings because the room isn't large enough to accommodate them all at once.

kaela100 · 24/04/2025 18:46

Marchitectmummy · 23/04/2025 19:34

Personally I don't agree with the offer, however I also do not have children in state education.

My issue is breakfast is the least nutritional meal of the day, cereal is cheap and lacks any benefit other than reducing hunger. I would prefer the money for that to be spent on healthy snacks during the day, fruit and milk or something similar.

Schools are suffering financially and the Government has given away one of the key areas schools can earn some additional income. So not only is the 60p per student for breakfast not covering costs but cross subsiding is also removed.

Some private schools are using this to bulk up their offerings too. Eg I know of several schools who plan to charge £10 as a flat fee per day for hot breakfast and lunch and a small tea.

Original poster

Espresso25 · 24/04/2025 19:01

CodandChipz · 24/04/2025 12:49

Cereal is usually served with milk as well and all the benefits that has.

Cereal remains the only thing I can stomach in the morning, I can’t even eat toast. The idea of porridge or eggs is horrific.

Cereal like shreddies, wheatibix or even cornflakes is fine - it’s the chocolate flavour sugar laden ones. But still better than a hungry tummy.

OP posts:

qwertyasdfgzxcv · 24/04/2025 19:44

I think it's a shame that we live in a country where school is providing breakfast rather than children having this as a family. I think it will worsen the situation as parents just expect the schcool to pick up more parenting.

misssunshine4040 · 24/04/2025 19:51

Mrsttcno1 · 23/04/2025 14:40

Don’t understand the comments about “ah working parents will use it”… yeah, that’s part of what it has actually been set up for? Starmer himself has been out saying the breakfast clubs enable parents to drop their kids off and get into work, it’s not a dirty secret it was quite literally the point to make it easier for parents to work!

This is why I use it. It allows me to get to work on time whilst dropping my child off myself.
if it wasn’t available I would need to find an alternative as a single parent it’s tricky to find just school drop off

Newrumpus · 24/04/2025 20:46

siblingrevelryagain · 23/04/2025 13:17

I'm 50 this year, grew up in a typical working & middle class suburb of Birmingham in 70's and 80's.

We had free milk (for a time), toast at break time, nit nurses, dentists in school showing us how to brush (using the pink disclosing tablets), and even a free holiday club in the community centre in the summer - my Mom and all her friends weren't going out to work, but they didn't have to pay and we went and had a lovely time doing sports and crafts etc..

It's like folks like this feel they had it particularly hard and no one else has struggled since. They tend to be bitter and can't see the advantages they had, or they don't want people to have things they didn't. My aunt (Reform voter) gets bent out of shape about parent and child parking, as when she had my twin cousins at the same age as me she didn't have this. She now, at 76, parks in them out of some kind of weird spite.

Those summer play schemes were amazing. We were lucky enough to have a teenage playground built to try to keep us out of
mischief which ran an outdoor youth club once a week and they used to do a free
bonfire and firework display with baked potatoes and toffee apples. The youth workers were good role models who created a sense of community and belonging.

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