Today marks an exciting milestone in the fight against child morning hunger:
The Early Adopters Scheme for school breakfasts for primary schools, which includes all primary aged children, has been officially launched. The Department for Education has announced that the pilot will trial breakfast provision in up to 750 state-funded schools, including those beyond mainstream primaries, beginning in April 2025 and ending in April 2026.
At Magic Breakfast, we know the power of a good start to the day. For more than two decades, we have worked to ensure that no child starts school too hungry to learn. The launch of the Early Adopters Scheme represents an important opportunity to test and refine Labour’s free school breakfast policy, with the results informing the eventual national rollout. We are committed to supporting schools throughout this trial, sharing our expertise to help ensure it achieves its full potential in transforming children’s mornings and guiding its expansion to benefit even more schools in the future. If you would like Magic Breakfast to support your school with the Government’s Early Adopters Scheme, please get in touch using our form.
We’re particularly encouraged to see Labour’s pilot exploring a variety of breakfast models, including breakfast clubs and classroom provision, ensuring flexibility for schools with different needs. Every parent or carer who uses the breakfast programme will also receive 30 minutes of free childcare, which is a significant benefit for families trying to balance work and family life.
Magic Breakfast Chief Executive Lindsey MacDonald welcomed the scheme, saying:
At Magic Breakfast, we’re pleased to see the announcement of the early adopters’-scheme for school breakfast. Working with up to 750 schools in England presents an opportunity for the DfE to test, learn and finesse their school breakfast policy ahead of the wider implementation.
It’s vital that the free school breakfast policy set to be rolled out for all primary pupils in England is fit for purpose and will achieve its intended benefits. The scheme must ensure schools have appropriate, adequate funding which covers set-up costs and ongoing staffing, support and guidance, a nutritional and healthy menu, with flexibility being a key part of the offer to address the variety of facilities and needs of different schools. This requires a variety of breakfast models, as one size does not fit all. Breakfast clubs offer a social and supportive start for students, and we equally want to ensure that those children who are unable to come to the club have a healthy and nutritious breakfast to kick start their day.
Magic Breakfast will continue to campaign for children and young people who will still be missing breakfast, including secondary school students and those in devolved nations, to ensure that no child starts the day too hungry to learn.”
While trialling free breakfast provision in 750 state-funded primary schools brings us closer to a future where all children can start their day ready to learn, Magic Breakfast continues to advocate for sufficient and sustainable school funding, expert advice, and support for school leaders managing competing priorities. We’re calling for robust monitoring and evaluation to guide the national rollout, and for high-quality, nutritious breakfasts that meet school food standards and are accessible to all. Beyond England, we urge the Scottish Government to fulfil its commitment to provide free breakfasts in all primary and ASN schools, and for both the Scottish and Labour Governments to include secondary schools, as we know hunger doesn’t stop when you turn 11.
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