Parents could save up to £450 a year from the rollout of 500 more free school breakfast clubs in deprived areas, the Government has said.
Primary schools where two in five (40%) or more pupils are eligible for free school meals (FSM) will be able to apply for funding from Thursday to open free breakfast clubs in an attempt to target schools where families are struggling the most with the cost of living.
The Department for Education (DfE) has increased funding for the breakfast clubs by 28% for the average school, it said. This comes after unions said during the pilot stage school leaders were telling them the funding wasn’t sufficient.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “We’re very pleased the Government has listened to feedback from the trial schools and increased the funding for free school breakfast clubs.
“Our own research shows that funding levels are the primary concern for school leaders so this increase should certainly help.”
There will be funding for 500 schools to open the clubs from April 2026, followed by another 1,500 in September.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the breakfast clubs are prioritising communities “feeling the sharpest squeeze” to tackle the cost of living and child poverty.
“I grew up in a family where every bill mattered, and I know what it feels like for parents trying to make ends meet,” he said.
The DfE said half a million more children will be served by the free breakfast clubs from April, and they could save parents up to 95 hours in childcare.
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More than one in three (38%) of parents surveyed during the pilot stage said they find it difficult to give their child a healthy breakfast before school, the DfE said.
Schools will receive £25 a day for staffing breakfast clubs, and £1 per child.
Mr Whiteman said during the pilot stage in April: “While we welcome the intentions behind the programme, the initial feedback we are hearing from many school leaders participating in the pilot is that the funding just isn’t sufficient.”
The per pupil funding has been increased from 60p during the pilot stage for each day of breakfast club attendance. During the pilot stage schools got 78p per pupil for those eligible for FSM, as well as £500 for set up costs and £1,099 termly funding.
Duncan Jacques, chief executive officer of Exceed Academies Trust, said increasing the funding rate will enable more trusts to keep offering breakfast clubs.
The funding rate must be kept under review as breakfast clubs are rolled out more widely to ensure schools can run them long term, said Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Our free breakfast clubs are ensuring over half a million more children don’t start the school day hungry, and save working parents around £450 a year.
“We’re launching this in the parts of the country that need it most — helping to bring bills down for families across Britain.”
