Free Breakfast Clubs

Families in Bootle will soon be able to access quality before-school childcare ahead as Labour pushes ahead with Children’s Wellbeing & Schools Bill to roll out free breakfast clubs in primary schools across the country.

It comes as new research reveals that over 20,000 children in Sefton could benefit from free breakfast clubs, boosting their attendance, attainment, readiness to learn, wellbeing and behaviour. In addition, the clubs are set to support parents to work the jobs and hours they choose, less restricted by school drop-offs and saving them money on childcare.

Ministers have kick-started the programme through an early adopter scheme, with applications having opened in November 2024 and rollout being delivered from April 2025. Funding was provided at Labour’s Budget to fix the foundations and deliver change, which tripled investment in breakfast clubs to over £33 million.

The breakfast clubs form part of Labour’s mission to break the unfair link between background and opportunity. The Labour government has pledged to get a record proportion of children school-ready – hitting key targets on personal, social and physical development as well as communication, literacy and maths.

Peter Dowd MP said:

“It’s a shame these clubs were only available in one in ten schools under the Conservatives. Labour will make them available to every child.

It’s clear to see that this is a child-centred Labour government, determined to give

children in Bootle the best start in life.”

The Labour government’s wider funded wraparound childcare offer – for all primary children to be able to access childcare between 8am-6pm – continues to roll out across the country. Labour is also developing an ambitious strategy to reduce child poverty and give children the best start in life, which will be published in Spring 2025. 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.