Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of primary and secondary schools which (a) were offering a free breakfast club at the end of the 2023-2024 academic year and (b) are projected to be offering a free breakfast club at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year.

To date, the department has not regularly collected data on the total number of schools that operate breakfast clubs, and, as a result, the department is unable to project the anticipated numbers for this academic year.

The National School Breakfast Club Programme currently supports up to 2,700 participating schools in disadvantaged areas, but this is not enough. The department understands the significant impact breakfast clubs can have in ensuring that children arrive at school ready to learn. Therefore, the department will be inviting 750 schools to participate in an early adopter scheme in April 2025, designed to test and identify effective strategies before a national rollout.

The department is collaborating closely with the sector to ensure that appropriate support, including funding, guidance and resources, is established.