Prime Minister visits school for breakfast club rollout

A SCHOOL in Caversham welcomed the Prime Minister to its breakfast club as the government announced it would roll out
500 more across the country.

Pupils at St Anne’s spent the morning on Thursday last week with Sir Keir Starmer as well as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Matt Rodda, the MP for Reading Central.

The primary school, in Washington Road, is one of 750 selected to participate in a pilot of the programme starting in April after applying for its early adopter scheme.

Executive headteacher Bridget Tobin said there are currently
45 pupils using the club at the school and that they had seen improvements in concentration and confidence as a result. She said: “The visit gave us the chance to show how much our breakfast club benefits the children and their families.

“The pupils enjoyed sharing their morning routine and talked confidently about what the breakfast club means to them.

“For many families, having a reliable and welcoming place for their children in the morning takes away a lot of pressure and helps them begin the day settled and focused.”

The visit came as the Labour government announced it had opened applications for the next wave of its Best Start free breakfast club.

From Thursday last week, schools where two in five pupils were eligible for free school meals would be able to apply for funding to open free breakfast clubs from April 2026.

It said 40 per cent of pupils who are eligible for free meals would benefit from the rollout, which would cost the Government a further £80m.

Under the programme, the government provides £25 for staffing per day and £1 per child.

The Department for Education said the scheme would save parents time and money, saving up to 95 hours in childcare and £450 per year.

Sir Keir said the programme was targeting schools in communities feeing the tightest “squeeze” in cost of living. He said: “Free breakfast clubs are already a lifeline for parents, and now we’re going further to deliver on that promise — beginning the national rollout.

“Not only that, but we’re prioritising those communities feeling the sharpest squeeze, tackling both the cost of living and child poverty head-on. This isn’t just about saving parents money and time, it’s about investing in the next generation to give them the best start in life.”

Mr Rodda said: “The children taking part are getting a great start to their school day and were settling down and getting ready to learn after having their breakfast at the club.

“Parents also find it easier to get off to work once they have dropped their children at the club.”

St Martin’s Primary School, also in Caversham, is another early adopter of the scheme.