Free breakfast clubs good idea but more funding needed, says West Midlands headteacher
It's as 750 primary schools will trial the £7 million programme from April
The headteacher of a West Midlands school trialling a free breakfast club scheme tells us more funding's needed to make the initiative a success.
From April, Bellfield school in Northfield will be one of 750 primaries to become 'early adopters' of the £7 million programme, before a national rollout.
Headteacher Nigel Attwood says although it's a good idea, the finances haven't been properly considered.
"What they haven't thought about - as well as the cost of the food - is whether you have children who have specific needs.
"So if you've got children with special educational needs who usually have a one-to-one, who's paying for that one-to-one?," he says.
The schools chosen for the trial are expected to offer a free breakfast to all pupils and at least 30 minutes of childcare before school.
Nigel says Bellfield already has a breakfast club but schools starting one for the first time will struggle with the funding available.
"We're already established which helps us to set things up a bit more.
"If you're starting this from scratch and you have to buy the equipment and pay for training, the money the government is giving you will not cover the cost."
Nigel tells us he supports the idea, but would urge the government for support in getting more pupils to come along to the breakfast clubs.
"Making sure everybody has had a really good breakfast, is nice and refreshed coming into the day, and has burnt off some steam doing fun activities is all great.
"But how do we make sure we're getting the numbers in that the government would like?"
Nigel says he's noticed a number ways the children who already go to their breakfast club are benefitting.
"Attendance is a benefit as well as better behaviour, because for some families they struggle to get in for a variety of reasons at the opening time.
"So we've found over the last couple of years our attendance has actually improved."
The trial is expected to run until July before being expanded as soon as possible.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the clubs would help to break the link "between background and success" for families "all over the country".
"Alongside our plans to roll out school-based nurseries and get thousands more children school-ready, this Government is delivering the reforms needed to give every child, wherever they grow up, the best start in life," she said.
The headteachers' union welcomed the expansion of breakfast clubs, which some schools already run, but expressed concerns that funding would fall short of the cost.
"It will be crucial that these concerns are addressed before the programme is rolled out across the country to ensure that it does not place further pressure on already strained school budgets, and that children and families can fully reap the benefits," said Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT.