Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the availability of (a) in-school breakfast and (b) after school clubs on (i) workforce participation and (ii) average hours of work.

The evidence on the benefits of wraparound childcare to help parents work, and work more, is clear. Research shows 43% of non-working mothers report they would prefer to work if they could arrange good-quality, convenient, reliable and affordable childcare, and 54% of parents say they have problems finding formal childcare for their child that is flexible enough to fit their needs. As of February 2024, 76% of parents reported that the main reason that they used wraparound childcare was so that they or others in their household could go to or seek work. Parents who use a breakfast club report that its availability enables them to go to work.

This is why, through the free breakfast clubs programme and the wraparound childcare programme, the department is creating more before and after school childcare places.

We have procured an independent evaluator to conduct a robust evaluation of the wraparound programme, reporting in 2027. The evaluation seeks to understand the impact that expanded wraparound provision has had on the parental labour market participation and parental attitudes towards labour market participation and childcare use.

The breakfast club early adopters scheme will provide a test and learn phase, allowing the department to develop robust evidence of the impact of the programme and implement lessons learned ahead of national rollout, to maximise the positive impact on families.