The Chancellor set out the Labour government’s plan to invest in the future generation, as part of today’s Budget, confirming it will triple its investment in breakfast clubs for primaries to over £30m.
This funding will help ensure children – especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds – “are ready to learn at the start of the school day,” she said in her speech.
The government previously said this investment in breakfast clubs will also “help drive improvements to behaviour, attendance and attainment” and has committed to breaking down barriers for all children.
We applaud the government’s focus on investing in the next generation and are pleased to see this reflected in the Autumn Budget.
Today’s announcement is in line with our 2024 Manifesto ask to ensure no child starts the day too hungry to learn. We at School Food Matters want to see the government build on this pledge by ensuring every child has access to a hot, nutritious lunch - a crucial step towards equalising opportunity, improving children’s health, and driving economic growth.
The SFM Manifesto also urges the government to ensure school food is “delicious, nutritious and sustainable”. Last week, we launched a groundbreaking report, which revealed a critical shortfall between government funding and what schools actually need to deliver this across the board. Our Cost of a School Meal report highlights how investing just 63p more per school meal can have huge benefits for children and provide stability across the sector.
Today's Budget was a welcome step forward in prioritising children's health through breakfast clubs, but there's a lot more work to be done.
