Breakfast clubs need £75m cash injection

The Government is being urged to inject £75m into school breakfast clubs after a report claimed the most vulnerable children are being let down.

Education charity Magic Breakfast says its research has exposed a "patchwork" of provision – leading some childrenstartingclasstoohungry to learn.

It says morning hunger is leading to increased absence, lower levels of attainment and poor behaviour in class – with staff and food costs said to be the biggest barrier to school efforts to end hunger in the classroom.

Magic Breakfast has called for an urgent £75m funding boost for school breakfasts.

Lindsey MacDonald, chief executive of Magic Breakfast, said: "Our Hidden Hunger report exposes the lottery of school breakfast funding and provisionintheUKandtheimpact that this has on children's learning and life chances.

"As pupils struggle to catch up on lost learning after the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis takes hold, we are calling on the Government to implement meaningful fundingforbreakfastfood,staffing, and support.”

Alison Garnham, chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group, said: "Parents tell us breakfast clubs can be an essential means of family support, and a lifeline in hard times,buttheresearchisclear, far too many children in poverty simply can't access and benefitfromtheseclubs–with seriousconsequencesfortheir school day.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: “Hunger is a real concern for school staff who regularly see children arriving in the morning without havingeaten,andthereforenot ready to learn.”