Breakfast Clubs Early Adopters Programme
As announced by the Chancellor, the Department for Education (DfE) will launch free breakfast clubs in up to 750 early adopter schools from April 2025. A small selection of these are in Lincolnshire.
This forms part of a test and learn phase, ahead of a national rollout. The goal is to ensure all primary-aged children have access to a free breakfast to start the school day.
Breakfast clubs will be:
- universal and free for all primary pupils
- at least 30 minutes long, including food
- a key part of helping children arrive at school ready to learn
- designed to give families greater choice and flexibility, particularly in relation to work
Schools are encouraged to promote the offer and support high take-up, especially among disadvantaged groups.
Breakfast club’s matter because they:
- improve behaviour, attendance, and academic outcomes
- help ease the cost of living for families
- complement the broader wraparound childcare programme
| Early Adopter Breakfast Programme | Before and After-School Wraparound Childcare | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Early Adopter Breakfast Programme: To improve school attendance, punctuality, and readiness by providing breakfast before the school day. | Before and After-School Wraparound Childcare: To provide extended childcare for working families, providing flexible options outside school hours. |
| Focus | Early Adopter Breakfast Programme: A soft start to the school day, where children enjoy breakfast before starting school. | Before and After-School Wraparound Childcare: Flexible, reliable childcare to support working parents and offer enriched activities |
| Duration | Early Adopter Breakfast Programme: Minimum 30 minutes before the compulsory school day begins. | Before and After-School Wraparound Childcare: Flexible hours before and after school, adjusted to local community need. |
| Cost | Early Adopter Breakfast Programme: Free for all children at participating schools. | Before and After-School Wraparound Childcare: Charged to parents for use of the service. |
The DfE will also work with the sector, including local authorities and childcare providers, businesses, and charities to consider the best approaches to delivering breakfast clubs in schools.
This guidance: Breakfast clubs early adopter guidance for schools and trusts in England explains the role of schools taking part in the early adopter programme, as part of the government’s commitment for new free breakfast clubs in all primary schools.
It sets out the requirements and expectations of schools delivering universal breakfast clubs. It also outlines what schools need to consider when setting up, or expanding, existing provision.