Breakfast clubs welcomed by Devon's primary schools
The latest list of schools to benefit was announced this morning
Last updated 2nd Feb 2026
New breakfast clubs are being created at 500 primary schools - with teachers telling us as well as helping parents with the cost of living, it'll have a big impact on pupils' learning.
One of the schools to benefit in Devon is Littleham Primary in Exmouth , where 70 per cent of kids are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Headteacher Ashleigh Tubbs said: "We all know how hard it is getting your children ready for school and getting them out of the house on time.
"Providing a free breakfast club is just logistically easier for them to get out of the house and it's free so it helps to relieve some of those financial pressures we're having at the moment with the cost of living.
"Breakfast, as we know, is the most important meal of the day and children having a healthy nutritious filling breakfast makes them concentrate more in lessons.
"They come into school more settled and they're calmer in situations where they are falling out with friends for example - and can deal with those more difficult situations better."
In Plymouth five schools are getting new breakfast clubs, as well as sites in Exeter, Barnstaple and Princetown.
The Government announced millions in extra funding for the scheme last year and the Department for Education says 300,000 children will benefit from the programme in April. Applications have also opened today for 1,500 more school to join in September - potentially helping 680,000 children.
What has the Government said?
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "Free breakfast clubs are revolutionising morning routines up and down the country, becoming an essential part of modern-day life for working families.
"From settling a child into the school day to helping parents get to work, free breakfast clubs are giving every child the best start in life - delivering on our plan for national renewal.
"I was raised by a single parent, so I know first-hand the struggles facing parents trying to make ends meet and how important it is to tackle outdated stigmas with practical support that people can feel every day."
What have unions said?
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: "It is positive to see the Government's breakfast club scheme rolling out to more schools.
"A good breakfast helps children to focus on their learning and has huge benefits for their health and wellbeing.
"We were supportive of the Government's move to increase funding for the scheme in November, after some schools raised concerns that it was not enough to cover their costs.
"It's important that as well as welcoming new schools to the scheme, ministers also seek to understand any barriers remaining for those which have so far chosen not to apply, be they around funding, staffing, space, or anything else, and look at what can be done to help overcome them."
What have other Devon MPs and councils said?
Plymouth’s two Labour MPs, Fred Thomas and Luke Pollard, have welcomed the announcement that five more primary schools in the city will be part of the roll out of new free breakfast clubs from April.
In Plymouth Moor View Riverside Community School; Victoria Road Primary; and Austin Farm Academy are all joining the scheme. In Plymouth Sutton and Devonport the schools added to the roll out are Marlborough Primary Academy and St Peters CofE Primary.
It means that half a million children in England’s most disadvantaged communities will benefit from the offer this year, and it follows the first stage of the roll out that saw four Plymouth schools benefit.
Fred Thomas, MP for Plymouth Moor View, said: “Visiting schools in the first phase of this scheme, it was clear to see how valued they were by both children and their parents. It is absolutely vital that children start their day with a good nutritious breakfast – you can’t learn on an empty stomach.
“We promised parents we would break down this barrier to opportunity and ensure all children could start the day in the best possible way, and we are delivering on that promise. I can’t wait to visit the new schools and see the clubs in action!”
Luke Pollard MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport said: "I am delighted that St Peter’s and Marlborough Primary have been selected for the next wave of Labour’s breakfast clubs. This is a massive win for families in Plymouth. By providing a healthy meal and a bit of extra childcare, we aren't just saving parents money, we're making sure our kids start the day with a full stomach and are ready to learn."
Cllr Sally Cresswell Cabinet Member for Education Skills and Apprenticeships said: "We already have primary schools in the city benefiting from this initiative and what makes it particularly successful is that schools have some flexibility in how they operate the scheme. Making adaptations so that it is best able to meet the needs of children and families in their schools and local communities."
"Breakfast clubs really help to ensure that children have a positive start to the school day - it is so much more than just having a good breakfast. These calm constructive mornings can reassure all parents that children come into classrooms eager and ready to learn. Initiatives from the Government, like breakfast clubs and the other big reforms are helping to further encourage a sense of inclusion and belonging which is key to wellbeing and enables our children to both thrive and achieve."