Free breakfast clubs ‘will help parents save up to £450 a year’

Free primary school breakfast clubs will help parents save parents hundreds of pounds a year, a minister has said.

From April, 750 selected primary schools will offer a free breakfast and at least 30 minutes of free childcare every day.

The government wants to then start rolling out free breakfast clubs nationwide, in a bid to improve children’s attendance, attainment and behaviour in school, as well as cut costs for parents.

According to skills minister Baroness Smith, the scheme could save parents up to £450 a year in paid for before-school childcare. 

At the same time, it could give mums and dads “greater opportunities” to find jobs that suit them and their circumstances.

Background ‘should not determine success’

“We are taking action to break the unfair link between background and success,” Baroness Smith said.

“This will be of particular benefit to the most disadvantaged families.”

Baroness Smith added that free breakfast clubs will “offer all children, regardless of their background, a settled start to the day” and mean more pupils “are fed and ready to learn at the start to the school day”.