Families in Milton Keynes will soon be able to access 30 minutes of quality childcare ahead of the start of the school day as the government pushes ahead with free breakfast clubs across the country.
From today, local schools can apply to become one of 750 early adopters in the government’s free breakfast club roll out, with clubs to launch from April 2025.
The news comes after MK Labour made it a local manifesto commitment to introduce free breakfast clubs across the city, with the Labour authority already working with Milton Keynes schools.
Cllr Joe Hearnshaw, Cabinet member for Children and Young People said:
“Free breakfast clubs are great for parents, great for kids, and great for our economy too. Labour’s breakfast clubs will make a huge difference for families in Milton Keynes - they make it easier for busy parents to make the time for work and dropping off the kids, they ensure children don’t start school hungry, and they help families with the cost of living too.”
Chris Curtis, MP for Milton Keynes North, added:
“Labour was elected to change Britain and this is exactly what that means. This is a huge opportunity for local schools to get in early and start reaping the benefits of free breakfast clubs from April next year.
“I strongly encourage local schools to apply.”
Breakfast clubs in every primary school will make a huge difference to children, families, and schools - removing barriers to opportunity by helping children learn, making sure no child starts school hungry, and helping families with the cost of childcare around the school day, to help keep money in people’s pockets.
More than 2 in 5 non-working mothers say that they would prefer to work if they could arrange good quality, convenient, reliable and affordable childcare, and over half of parents say they have problems finding formal childcare for their child that is flexible enough to fit their needs.
The breakfast clubs form part of the government’s mission to break the unfair link between background and opportunity. Delivering change that can be felt by working people, early adopters will offer all children at their school access to a free breakfast and at least 30 minutes of free before school childcare, every day.
This action to kick-start the programme comes fast after the Budget, which tripled investment in breakfast clubs to over £33 million for2025-26, supporting the early adopter scheme as well as the continuation of the National School Breakfast Club Programme next year, so no child faces a cliff edge on current provision.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
“This is a landmark opportunity for schools to be in the vanguard of change, as we build back the foundations of an education system that breaks the link between children’s background, and the opportunities they have in life.
“From helping with flexible working for families, to improving behaviour and attendance, the supportive start to the day that breakfast clubs provide will help drive high and rising standards for every child. This government is delivering change that will make a real difference to families up and down the country.”
Schools that become early adopters will have the unique opportunity to shape the future of the national breakfast club policy, contributing directly to its implementation.
The wider paid-for wraparound childcare offer – for all primary children to be able to access childcare between 8am-6pm – continues to roll out across the country.
The government is also developing an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty and give children the best start in life, which will be published in spring. The Taskforce led by the Work and Pensions Secretary and Education Secretary are looking at all available levers across government to drive forward short-term and long-term actions to reduce child poverty.
