Breakfast Clubs

Government Transformation and Service Delivery

Record date: 31 March 2026

Whole-life cost: Not disclosed
Published schedule: Not disclosed – Exempt under Section 35 - Formulation of government policy
NISTA delivery confidence: Exempt under Section 35 - Formulation of government policy
Senior responsible owner: Sophie Taylor

What the project is for

The government has committed to create a new mandatory free breakfast club duty for all state-funded schools with primary aged pupils on roll. Starting in April 2025, the Department for Education launched the first 750 free breakfast clubs in our early adopter schools. Offering places to nearly 180,000 children. Over the first year of delivery more than 8 million meals were served at the free breakfast clubs to pupils across the country, ensuring that they were fed and ready to start the day. In April 2026 the programme started it's national rollout with an additional 2,000 schools expected to begin delivering free breakfast clubs in the 2026/2027 financial year. Through funding schools to deliver free breakfast clubs, in line with future legislation, the objectives of the policy are to: ensure children are ready to learn at the start of the school day, improving their ability to achieve by giving children a soft start to the school day through a club and breakfast increase household incomes by reducing the amount families spend on groceries and before-school childcare and contributing to an increase in parents’ and carers’ ability to work more hours Establishing a free breakfast club in every primary school was a manifesto commitment. It supports the government’s opportunity and growth missions, specifically the every child achieving and thriving pillar.

Departmental delivery commentary

Exempt under Section 35 - Formulation of government policy

Schedule

There have been no changes to the projects schedule.

Cost

Exempt under Section 35 - Formulation of government policy

Benefits

Exempt under Section 35 - Formulation of government policy