Free Breakfast for all school students in London
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Free breakfast for school students
One London headteacher said persistent absence rates dropped immediately at her primary school after she introduced the morning meal for all children.
Lindsey MacDonald, chief executive of magic breakfast, a charity that helps schools offer breakfast, said giving children food in the morning cuts absence levels because it changes the relationship between families and schools.
“The relationship between parents and the school changes drastically because all of a sudden a positive message is coming from the school – it’s not a ‘persistent absence, potential fines, chastising’ conversation.”
What some teachers says?
Sandie Andrews, headteacher of Penwortham Primary School in Wandsworth, said all 668 children at the three-form entry school have been offered free breakfast for the past year. Over that time persistent absence levels have dropped by two per cent, and lateness has decreased.
“Children have more energy and concentration and punctuality is better. They don’t complain of stomach aches and headaches. We are starting to see that coming through in their attainment and progress.”
Research from the Education Endowment Fund found schools with breakfast provision have 26 fewer half days of absence per year in a class of 30, compared to other schools.
Mrs Andrews said families are increasingly coming to the school for help with the cost-of-living, and are using foodbanks more.
She said: “We adopted the Magic Breakfast initiative because the cost of living crisis and rise in food prices affected some of our families and we felt it would help us support them.
“It has removed that guilt around sometimes having to skip breakfast. It removes the stigma – it’s for all families whether they are having issues with the cost of living or whether they are just really busy working parents.”
The number of children who are persistently absent spiralled during Covid and remain at pre-pandemic levels.
