Dorset headteacher welcomes free school breakfast clubs
The government has confirmed 11 schools in Dorset will soon offer free, daily breakfast clubs for children
A Dorset headteacher has welcomed a government pilot scheme to offer free breakfast clubs to children.
From April, 11 schools across the county will be trialling the ‘free school breakfast club’ scheme to see how successful it is.
They are:
Dorset
- Dorchester Middle School
- Marshwood CofE Primary Academy
- Bridport, St Mary's Church of England Primary School
- Durweston Church of England Primary School
- Stoborough Church of England Primary School
- St George's Church of England Primary School, Langton Matravers
- Cerne Abbas CofE VC First School
- Powerstock Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
- Elm Academy
- Malmesbury Park Primary School
- Bearwood Primary and Nursery School
It means that parents will get at least 30 minutes of free childcare every day, helping them get to work and save an estimated £450 a year.
John Webb, Head of Dorchester Middle School, told us: “Some families face quite challenging financial circumstances and struggle on a daily basis, so this will provide source of support for them.
“People often struggle managing their work, life balance especially when they’re trying to get to work, get kids ready in the morning so this scheme should really help.”
Schools trialling the scheme will host activities such as arts and crafts, reading clubs, sports classes and more as well give pupils the opportunity to socialise with friends.
It’s part of the government's ‘Plan for Change’ which aims to remove all barriers and ensure pupils starts the school day “ready to learn”.
Research shows these clubs can have a lasting impact on children’s behaviour, attendance and attainment and have even been shown to boost children’s reading, writing, and maths by an average of two months.
Mr Webb continued: “Making sure no child starts school hungry is vital and a lot of pupils could really benefit from these breakfast clubs, so I think if all pupils in schools can be funded in the future, then that would be absolutely fantastic.”
Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said: "Breakfast clubs can have a transformative impact on the lives of children, feeding hungry tummies and fuelling hungry minds, so every child begins the day ready to learn.
“The clubs come alongside a raft of measures designed to cut the cost of living for families, including the commitment to significantly cut uniform costs through a cap on branded items.”
Mr Webb added: “Finance is the caveat and whether funding goes up year on year to match the rising costs of food year on year because we can't afford to run it at a loss.
“That is a concern raised by many headteachers and I think we'll have a clearer idea of that, and as to whether this is sustainable, by the end of this scheme.”