More than 1,400 schools will join the free breakfast club programme from September, offering a free breakfast club to all pupils from reception to year 6. This brings the total number of schools on the programme to more than 2,700 from September. This includes 56 schools within Lincolnshire and 3 schools in South Holland and the Deepings:

• Holbeach Bank Primary Academy.
• The Donington Cowley Endowed Primary School.
• Springwell Alternative Academy Spalding.

For this first year of national rollout, places on the free breakfast club programme were offered to schools with primary provision who have higher levels of disadvantage, and to schools on the food-only national school breakfast programme. The full list of more than 2,700 schools on the programme is available on GOV.UK.

New schools will be onboarded in stages throughout 2027/28 to ensure we can continue to provide appropriate support to ensure successful delivery.

More than 1,400 schools will join the free breakfast club programme from September, offering a free breakfast club to all pupils from Reception to Year 6. This brings the total number of schools on the programme to more than 2,700 from September and includes two schools in Fylde: Westminster Primary Academy and The Maple School.

For this first year of national rollout, places on the free breakfast club programme were offered to schools with primary provision who have higher levels of disadvantage, and to schools on the food-only National School Breakfast Programme. All schools who were invited to apply for the programme have been offered a place. You can see the full list of more than 2,700 schools on the programme on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/breakfast-clubs-early-adopters-schools-in-the-scheme.

New groups of schools will be onboarded in stages throughout 2027 and 2028 to ensure we can continue to provide appropriate support to ensure successful delivery.

More than 1,400 schools will join the free breakfast club programme from September, offering a free breakfast club to all pupils from Reception to Year 6. This brings the total number of schools on the programme to more than 2,700 from September and includes two schools in Fylde: Westminster Primary Academy and The Maple School.

For this first year of national rollout, places on the free breakfast club programme were offered to schools with primary provision who have higher levels of disadvantage, and to schools on the food-only National School Breakfast Programme. All schools who were invited to apply for the programme have been offered a place. You can see the full list of more than 2,700 schools on the programme on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/breakfast-clubs-early-adopters-schools-in-the-scheme.

New groups of schools will be onboarded in stages throughout 2027 and 2028 to ensure we can continue to provide appropriate support to ensure successful delivery.

Food served at free breakfast clubs must meet the School Food Standards. The standards set out the types of food that should be served and how often and are designed to help children develop healthy eating habits and ensure they receive the nutrition needed for the school day.

The government is committed to half of all food served in public settings being either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards.

The School Food Standards allow school chefs and cooks creative freedom to adapt to the preferences of the children at their school, source seasonal or local food, and take advantage of price fluctuations.

We recently consulted on proposed changes to the School Food Standards in England. We are now reviewing the responses and feedback, and we will consider guidance for the new standards in due course.

Presently, schools can voluntarily follow the Government Buying Standards for food and catering, which includes advice around sourcing their school food.

The department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.

Food served at free breakfast clubs must meet the School Food Standards. The standards set out the types of food that should be served and how often and are designed to help children develop healthy eating habits and ensure they receive the nutrition needed for the school day.

The government is committed to half of all food served in public settings being either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards.

The School Food Standards allow school chefs and cooks creative freedom to adapt to the preferences of the children at their school, source seasonal or local food, and take advantage of price fluctuations.

We recently consulted on proposed changes to the School Food Standards in England. We are now reviewing the responses and feedback, and we will consider guidance for the new standards in due course.

Presently, schools can voluntarily follow the Government Buying Standards for food and catering, which includes advice around sourcing their school food.

The department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.

The department is committed to delivering a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England. There are 34 schools already on the programme within the Tees Valley region.

Early adopter schools opened free breakfast clubs for the first time in April 2025, and the total departmental expenditure on free breakfast clubs in the Tees Valley region was £245,107.23 in the 2025/26 financial year. In the current financial year, total departmental expenditure in the region amounts to £161,156.13.

Details on total spend for the financial year and on future years’ spending are to be confirmed.

The government is committed to offering free breakfast clubs to all primary-aged pupils in England, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, so that all children have access to a healthy breakfast and a soft start to their school day. Food served at free breakfast clubs must meet the School Food Standards, and we have provided guidance to schools on healthy breakfast options.

Early adopter schools are already sharing examples of good practice to support consistent, high‑quality provision across the country.

Parents care deeply about the food their children eat, which is why we plan to overhaul the School Food Standards for the first time in over a decade. Developed alongside nutritionists and public health experts, the new standards will include dedicated breakfast standards, cutting high sugar items and increasing higher-fibre wholegrains.

We have launched a 9 week consultation on these changes and are committed to developing a robust enforcement system, which includes monitoring of compliance.

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On 17 March 2026, Pennoweth Primary School, along with all schools currently on the free breakfast clubs programme waitlist, received a notification from the department to invite them to join the free breakfast clubs programme and deliver from September 2026.

The National School Breakfast Programme is an inherited scheme from the previous government and the contract will end in July 2026. The contract with the supplier, Family Action, stipulates that all food available for schools to purchase must meet the School Food Standards. ​

The School Food Standards already restricts foods high in fat, salt and sugar, as well as low quality reformed or reconstituted foods. However, to ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, we are revising the School Food Standards. We are engaging experts across the sector, such as nutritionists, and are developing our plans to consult on the changes.  ​

This government is committed to delivering a free breakfast club in every state-funded school with primary-aged pupils in England. Since April 2025, we have funded 750 schools to offer a free breakfast club as early adopters, delivering seven million meals so far. We are moving into national rollout, investing a further £80 million into the programme to fund an additional 2,000 schools between April 2026 and March 2027. Schools delivering free breakfast clubs have autonomy in how they procure their breakfast food, which must meet the School Food Standards.

All state-funded schools with primary aged pupils, including those with specialist units, special schools and alternative provision schools, are in scope for the free breakfast clubs programme.

Through the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, all state-funded schools with primary-aged pupils will be required to offer a free breakfast club and will be funded to do so.

We are undertaking national roll out of free breakfast clubs to these schools in phases, with 2,000 starting in the 2026/2027 financial year. We will share details regarding how schools can join the programme in future years, in due course.

What steps she has taken to roll out Best Start free breakfast clubs.

It was a pleasure to spend time with my hon. Friend in his constituency recently, where he and I both enjoyed a range of activities with the brilliant Pinky, including our enthusiastic attempts at axe chopping. I know that my hon. Friend has worked really hard to support and encourage schools in his constituency to participate in our school-based nurseries and breakfast clubs programmes, and I thank him for that. In the south-west, we have opened 30 school-based nurseries and nearly 100 breakfast clubs, supporting thousands of children in St Austell and beyond to get the very best start in life.

I am delighted that Pondhu primary school in my constituency has been a trailblazer for not just our Government’s free breakfast clubs scheme, but investment in school nurseries, which has been a resounding success. What assessment has the Minister made of the positive impacts of our free breakfast clubs programme on children and their families?

All our programmes are evidence based. When it comes to breakfast clubs, we know the data shows us that they will drive up attainment and improve attendance for our schoolchildren.