The breakfast club at Kearsley West Primary School in Bolton is a lifeline for lots of local parents. But the headteacher, Miss Fitton, wishes she could do more.
The club is free, but only for families on the lowest incomes. And many of the other parents struggle from week to week to make ends meet.
The school does its best to keep costs down. But for parents during a cost-of-living crisis, every little helps.
Miss Fitton feels that if she could just make the breakfast club free for all children at her school, take up would skyrocket.
That’s why she jumped at the chance to make her school an early adopter for this government’s free breakfast club rollout.
Our free breakfast club programme is coming to primary schools like Kearsley West across the country.
Because working parents deserve support. They deserve a government that backs them. They deserve strong action, not empty words.
So we’re getting on with the job of delivering for families. From Tuesday we’re launching the 750 early adopters, saving parents up to £450 a year.
And add to that our school-based nurseries. I announced funding for the first 300 earlier this month. It’s a massive step towards delivering our 30 hours of government-funded childcare in full from September.
I know, and Express readers know too, that’s what families really need – a government that keeps promises, that delivers change, that helps parents not just to get by but to get on.
And I know parents need more support with childcare, so breakfast clubs are here to help with that too.
They provide 30 minutes of free childcare at the start of every day.
For busy parents doing their best to balance work and family life, that can make all the difference. It gives them breathing space and flexibility with their lives.
Not just for parents, for children too. Time at the beginning of the school day to eat and play with their friends.
The softer start is great for behaviour and attendance. And breakfast clubs help children get top marks too.
That’s why they are essential to our Plan for Change and our mission to break down the barriers to opportunity.
We’re delivering on promises to parents and giving every child the best start in life – rolling out top quality nurseries, boosting the early years pupil premium, training up nursery teachers, and so much more.
But giving all children the best start in life also means giving them the best start to the day.
Free breakfast clubs set children up for success that day in school, and for the rest of their lives.
The staff at Kearsley West see that playing out day by day. They see the children helping to make their own breakfast – cleaning up afterwards too, becoming more independent.
And the club gets the thumbs up from the kids too. 'I like to come to breakfast club and play with my friends before school', says one pupil. 'Bagels at breakfast club are great', adds another.
Our free breakfast club programme will spread those happy mornings to every primary school in the country. Starting with our 750 early adopters, we’re supporting schools, backing parents, and giving each and every child the start to the school day they deserve.
