A headteacher from a primary school in Newcastle has rejected the Government’s offer of a free breakfast club, citing financial and logistical constraints. Barbara Middleton of Shiremoor Primary School explained that the allocated time before lessons for breakfast was a key concern, as it required staffing that the funding provided did not cover.
Sir Keir Starmer recently visited a school breakfast club in Manchester while announcing an extension of 500 free breakfast clubs. The Department for Education stated that many schools found the scheme viable. Participating schools receive daily funding from the government to cover food and staffing costs.
Contrary to Middleton’s decision, Headteacher Craig Brown of Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School in Co Durham has enrolled in the scheme. Although the government’s financial support is an improvement over previous funding, Brown mentioned that it still falls short of covering all program costs.
Currently, Middleton’s school provides bagels to every child in the morning, partially supported by Magic Breakfast charity. However, the mandated 30-minute breakfast club timing poses staffing and space challenges for her school, which would have to accommodate a large number of children in one hall.
In light of the teachers’ preparation time before lessons, Middleton emphasized that allowing children to eat breakfast in classrooms would not be practical.
