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Ben Rhydding Primary named in Government free breakfast club pilot

Monday, 24 February 2025 16:57

Ben Rhydding Primary School will offer a free breakfast club in the summer term (Photo: Karen Ross)

Ben Rhydding Primary School is 1 of 10 schools in the Bradford district chosen to be part of a pilot Government free breakfast club scheme.

Expect to start in April, 750 state schools with primary-aged children from every region of England have been selected to join the pilot before a national rollout.

The schools chosen for the trial are expected to offer a free healthy, varied and nutritious breakfast to all pupils and at least 30 minutes of childcare before school, helping to support parents getting into work by dropping their children off half an hour earlier.

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

“Free breakfast clubs sit right at the heart of our Plan for Change, breaking the link between background and success for families all over the country. 

“Breakfast clubs can have a transformative impact on the lives of children, feeding hungry tummies and fuelling hungry minds, so every child begins the day ready to learn.

“Alongside our plans to roll out school-based nurseries and get thousands more children school-ready, this government is delivering the reforms needed to give every child, wherever they grow up, the best start in life.”

Ben Rhydding Primary School headteacher, Peter Timms, said:

'We are excited to be one of 750 schools (1 of 10 in Bradford from a range of settings) selected for the DFE Early Adopter Breakfast Club Scheme. The scheme will initially run through the summer term 2025, providing pupils with access to breakfast and a good start to the day.

“The scheme will be evaluated and also be used to provide feedback to the government on the feasibility of scaling up the initiative nationally as part of their Plan for Change. It will also provide our school with an understanding of how this trial might work as a longer-term provision for families.”

Government research shows most parents (87%) think breakfast clubs are a good chance for children to socialise, and two thirds (66%) recognise the value of clubs providing educational activities.

Breakfast clubs have been shown to boost children’s reading, writing, and maths by an average of two months.

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