Parents could save up to £450 per year
The Prime Minister has encouraged eligible schools in Lincolnshire to sign up for a new programme which will be a ‘lifeline for families’. 500 schools will get funding to run free breakfast clubs across the country from April 2026.
The £80million programme will be open to those where at least 40 percent of pupils receive free school meals, with priority given to those with the highest rates. The government says that the free breakfast clubs will save parents up to £450 a year and give back 95 hours of time.
12 schools taking part in the trial in Lincolnshire and 45 more will be eligible to apply for the full programme. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “The cost of living is the number one issue for many parents in Lincolnshire – I’ve made it my personal mission to tackle it.”
“Breakfast clubs are really important for children. They are more likely to learn if they’ve had a good breakfast – it makes a massive difference.
“It is also a chance for parents to drop off and go back to work and earn more. Breakfast clubs are a game changer, and I would encourage all eligible schools to apply.
“It sits alongside changes we’ve made to tackle the cost of school uniforms, meals and childcare.” The government claims that pupils aged five to seven receiving the support make the equivalent of an extra two months’ progress in maths, reading and writing.
750 schools are currently enrolled in the trial programme, and have delivered over five million free breakfasts.
