Concerns Over Government's Free Breakfast Club Scheme
A head teacher has expressed criticism of the government's free breakfast club scheme, stating that it is too costly for her school to implement.
Barbara Middleton, head teacher at Shiremoor Primary School in Newcastle, explained that she has so far declined to participate in the government's free breakfast club offer due to financial and logistical difficulties.
One of her main concerns is the requirement for schools to allocate at least 30 minutes before lessons start to run the breakfast club.
"The funding being paid doesn't afford me the employees that I would need to be able to run that safely,"Middleton said.
In response, the Department for Education (DfE) stated that many schools have reported the scheme as "fair and workable."
Currently, 145 schools in north-east England are enrolled in the breakfast programme.
Schools receive £25 per day plus £1 for each pupil participating from the government. These funds are intended to cover both food and staffing expenses.
Schools' Experiences with the Scheme
Craig Brown, head teacher of Dean Bank Primary and Nursery School in Ferryhill, has signed up for the scheme and plans to start offering the free breakfast club later this month.
He estimates the school will receive approximately £10,000 from the government over the next academic year for the programme.
However, Brown acknowledged that this amount will not cover the total costs of running the programme.
Nonetheless, he stated that the school is participating because the funding represents a significant improvement over its previous breakfast club, which relied on charitable foundation support.
Current Breakfast Provision and Challenges
Middleton's school currently provides bagels to each child every morning, partly funded by the charity Magic Breakfast.
Children receive a bagel even if they arrive late to school, she noted.
However, the government's breakfast programme requires schools to hold the club for at least 30 minutes before lessons begin.
Middleton explained that this requirement poses staffing challenges and logistical difficulties, as her school would need to accommodate over 300 children in a single hall.
Allowing children to eat breakfast in classrooms before lessons is not feasible, as teachers use that time to prepare for the day.
"Give us the funding to offer the breakfast club but give us flexibility,"she said.
"Is the aim that all children are fed before school or is it that the government wants to increase free childcare?"
Brown, however, finds the government's offer more attractive because his school already staffs before-school care.
He also views the mandatory 30-minute breakfast club as beneficial for other reasons.
"The social environment for me is one of the big things,"Brown said.
"I know a lot of families that don't have a dining table and don't have the opportunity to sit around and talk to the children. So actually if we can offer that as a school multiple times a day – not just at lunch time – then it's a winner."
Department for Education's Response
The DfE stated it has taken earlier feedback into account and now provides more funding to schools than before.
"An average primary school with 50% take-up will receive nearly £30,000 a year – around 18 times more than the previous National School Breakfast Programme,"a spokesperson said.
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