A Unique Child: Breakfast Clubs - An Update
Monday, June 2, 2014
Research - The Institute for Fiscal Studies is to carry out a year-long study into the impact of free school breakfasts on children's academic progress.
Funded by the Education Endowment Foundation and the Department for Education, the project will involve 36,000 pupils in 200 primary schools.
Funding - Following the publication of the School Food Plan in July last year, the Government has allocated £3m to developing more breakfast clubs. In March, Magic Breakfast was awarded a DfE contract to help more than 180 schools, where more than 35 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, to set up breakfast provision. www.schoolfoodplan.com
On the menu Dr Patricia Mucavele, head of nutrition at the Children's Food Trust, says, 'Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Good options for breakfast include low-sugar breakfast cereals served with milk or yoghurt and fromage frais, with a lower sugar content fruit, wholemeal or white toast, bagels, English muffins and Scotch pancakes with low-fat spread. Hot options like porridge, boiled or scrambled eggs, and reduced salt and sugar baked beans are also good choices.'
Providers - The Greggs Foundation set up its first breakfast club in 1999 and now oversees more than 270 clubs, providing breakfast to more than 14,000 school children a day. Every school is provided with fresh bread from its nearest Greggs shop and a grant to support start-up and ongoing costs. www.greggsfoundation.org.uk/breakfast-clubs
Magic Breakfast delivers free, healthy breakfasts to UK primary schools with more than 35 per cent of pupils receiving free school meals. Breakfasts include bagels, porridge, orange juice and cereals. The charity serves 8,500 children every morning. www.magicbreakfast.com
Mayor's Fund for London has teamed up with Magic Breakfast and Greggs Foundation to deliver free breakfasts to more than 2,000 children in 50 of the most disadvantaged primary schools in the capital. www.mayorsfundforlondon.org.uk/programme/breakfast-clubs
Kellogg's has helped to set up and support more than 1,000 breakfast clubs in the past decade, and last year funded more than 660 clubs. www.giveachildabreakfast.co.uk/how_kelloggs_helps.aspx.
