A good start to the school day can shape everything that follows.
When children arrive fed, settled and ready to learn, classrooms are calmer, concentration improves and teachers can get on with teaching. For parents, a reliable breakfast club can make the morning rush easier and create more flexibility around work.
That is why I am delighted that 12 more primary schools across West Cumbria will begin offering universal free breakfast clubs from September.
The new clubs will open at Mayfield School, Valley Primary School, Flimby Primary School, St Begh’s Catholic Junior School, Derwent Vale Primary School, St Gregory and St Patrick’s Catholic Infant School, Hensingham Primary School, Victoria Junior School, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, St Gregory’s Catholic Primary School, Victoria Infant School and Ashfield Junior School.
They join the existing clubs at Beckermet CofE School, Seaton Academy, Arlecdon Primary School and Northside Primary School, taking the total in our area to 16.
This is practical help that families will feel. Each club will provide children with a nutritious breakfast and 30 minutes of free childcare before lessons begin. For a family using the club every school day, that could mean savings of up to £450 a year and around 95 hours returned to parents over the course of the year.
But the value goes beyond money. We know that breakfast clubs can support better attendance, behaviour, wellbeing and readiness to learn. They also give children time to settle, spend time with friends and start the day in a calm and positive environment.
As Minister for Children and Families, I have seen how much the early years of a child’s life and the support around their family can shape what comes next. As the local MP, I also know how stretched many household budgets remain and how difficult it can be to balance work, school runs and family life.
The best policies are often the simplest: make sure children have something healthy to eat, give parents a little more breathing space, and help schools create the conditions in which every pupil can thrive.
This expansion is part of a wider effort to give children the best possible start, alongside more funded childcare, new Family Hubs in Whitehaven and Workington, expanded free school meals and action to reduce the cost of school uniforms.
None of those measures solves every pressure families face. But taken together, they can make a real difference to the weekly budget and to children’s experience at school.
I am grateful to the teachers, school leaders and support staff who will make these new clubs work. From September, hundreds more West Cumbrian children will be able to begin the day fed, supported and ready to learn – and that is something worth celebrating in communities across our area.
Josh MacAlister MP 