Primary schools across East Cleveland are set to benefit from a major expansion of free breakfast clubs, with new provision confirmed for several schools in the area from April.
Chaloner Primary School in Guisborough, Handale Primary School in Loftus, Lingdale Primary School in Lingdale, and Whitecliffe Primary Academy in Carlin How are included in the latest rollout of Labour’s free breakfast club programme.
They join the first tranche of schools – Skelton Primary School, Lockwood Primary School, St Bernadette’s Catholic Primary School and Pennyman Primary – announced last year. In total, 1,578 children across the constituency will have access to the clubs.
The expansion targets schools serving communities with higher levels of disadvantage, and is expected to help families with the rising cost of living while giving children a better start to the school day – with research showing the clubs have a lasting impact on children’s behaviour, attendance and attainment. The Department for Education estimates that free breakfast clubs can save working parents up to £450 a year.
Cllr Bill Suthers, Cabinet Member for Children at Redcar and Cleveland Council said:
“This investment in free breakfast clubs is a positive step for children and families across Redcar and Cleveland. Making sure children arrive at school settled, fed, and ready to learn is fundamental, and this programme helps schools do exactly that. I am pleased to see local schools included and look forward to the benefits this will bring for attendance, learning, and family life.”
The Labour Government has a commitment for every primary school in England to have access to a free breakfast club by the end of the Parliament. The clubs come alongside a raft of measures driven forward by Labour to cut the cost of living for families, including expanding free school meals, rolling out 30 hours of government-funded childcare, bringing down school uniform costs and securing the future of Best Start holiday clubs. The scheme plays a role in Labour’s moral mission to tackle child poverty, with the government on track to secure the biggest reduction in child poverty within a single parliament.
Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, said:
“Breakfast clubs can have a transformative impact on the lives of millions of children, feeding hungry tummies and fuelling hungry minds, so every child begins the day ready to learn.
“Alongside our plans to roll out school-based nurseries and get thousands more children school-ready, this government is delivering the reforms needed to give every child, wherever they grow up, the best start in life.”