We welcome this milestone and the government's commitment to expanding provision. Following the introduction of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act last month, all schools with primary-age pupils will be required to offer a free breakfast club, with new groups of schools supported to join throughout 2027 and 2028. Today's school census figures show that over 2.2 million children are now eligible for free school meals - a reminder of the scale of need that universal breakfast provision must meet.
What the evidence shows
The Secretary of State highlights early evidence of impact from the programme, including improvements in attendance, punctuality, behaviour and school readiness. This reflects what our Nourish programme sees across primary, secondary and special schools in London and beyond. We know that high-quality breakfast clubs can deliver meaningful, sustained improvements to children's nutrition, wellbeing and relationships with food.
From our Nourish programme, we also know that breakfast clubs can be an entry point into a whole school approach to food. When run well, they provide a lower-pressure environment than lunchtime for children to try new foods, build curiosity and develop positive relationships with food.
Schools that introduced more nutritious options (including wholegrain bread, porridge, fruit, and yoghurt) found that children were willing to try far more foods than staff had anticipated. Calmer breakfast clubs were also observed during evaluation visits, with staff reporting improved readiness to learn and stronger teacher-student relationships.
What the rollout needs to get right
Nourish also highlighted what it takes to make these benefits last. Breakfast club staff need practical training and guidance to sustain menu improvements. Lasting change also requires a whole school approach - with school food policies that cover the entire school day and food education that is hands-on, curiosity-led and embedded across the curriculum. Support from senior leadership is essential to make these changes happen. Sustained improvement will also depend on sufficient funding, staffing and kitchen capacity.
What comes next
Schools not yet on the breakfast clubs programme are asked to familiarise themselves with the requirements, complete a preparation survey, and begin thinking with staff, parents, and children about how to implement clubs in their setting.
We welcome the government's ambition for universal breakfast provision and look forward to seeing how the national rollout is supported in practice. Expanding access to breakfast is a fantastic way to ensure that children have access to nutritious food to start their day. Evidence from Nourish shows that the quality of provision, the training of staff, and the food culture that schools build around breakfast clubs will shape how much children benefit.
Read the Secretary of State's letter in full here
Complete the preparation survey here
Read our Nourish evaluation here
