‘Catch-up’ breakfast clubs could give post-pandemic boost

Labour has said that its plan for universal ‘catch-up’ breakfast clubs could provide a post-pandemic boost to millions of school children across England.

Labour is calling on the government to introduce catch-up breakfast clubs, to give kids more time with friends and teachers to support their recovery from the pandemic. Kate Green, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, is setting out the party’s plans for every primary and secondary child to be offered a free healthy breakfast at school to ensure they’re ready for learning, in a speech to the Confederation of School Trusts annual conference.

Labour’s call comes alongside new figures that shows five million people now live in food insecure households, including 1.7 million children. Green says that breakfast clubs would support children’s wellbeing with extra time to socialise, while also giving schools extra time to provide targeted tuition or catch up support.

The gap in learning between children on free school meals and their peers had not narrowed for five years before the pandemic, and new evidence suggests the impact of lockdown is delaying young children’s language and social development.

Green said: “From having to be dragged kicking and screaming to provide free school meals during the holidays, to exams chaos and children being left without the resources to learn at home, the Conservatives have treated children as an afterthought throughout this pandemic. Now their recovery package amounts to a pitiful 43p a child per day, with no plans to support children’s wellbeing or social development.

“Labour wants children to be at the heart of an ambitious national recovery from this pandemic. Breakfast clubs would give every child a healthy meal to start their day, more time to play with their friends and extra time for teachers to provide targeted catch-up support, ensuring every child is supported to reach their potential.”