Free breakfast clubs scheme will take 7 years at current pace

The government’s free breakfast clubs scheme will take another seven years to deliver at the current pace, analysis shows - despite ministers’ pledge to achieve universal rollout in primaries by 2029.

Labour first announced its plan to introduce fully funded breakfast clubs in all primary schools in 2022, when it was in opposition.

Speaking in March, former early education minister Olivia Bailey reiterated the government’s aim: “Every primary school in England will have a free breakfast club by the end of this Parliament, giving children a healthy breakfast and a great soft start to the day and improving attainment and attendance.”

The pilot scheme for the first 750 “early adopter” schools began in April 2025.

In June this year the Department for Education said more than 300,000 children across 1,250 clubs were “already benefitting” from free breakfasts.

Then in July it said another 1,400 breakfast clubs would open from September, bringing the total to “more than 2,700”.

This means around 14,000 out of 16,712 state primary schools in England currently do not have a free breakfast club.

Tes asked the DfE for an exact figure for the number of clubs currently open, but it declined.

The promise of free breakfast clubs for all

The current Parliament is due to end no later than July 2029, leaving the DfE with fewer than three more years to hit its target.

At the current pace, including the pilot year, this will not happen until 2033.

There were 1,250 clubs open in the first 14 months of the scheme - a rate of around 89 schools per month.

If the new clubs open as planned this month, the total figure will be at least 2,700 over 17 months, averaging out at 159 per month.

However, the funding rate for the scheme was boosted from April 2026 after schools voiced concerns - so it is possible that the pace will speed up - and the government said it is still confident it will meet its manifesto pledge.

Carl Cullinane, director of research and policy at the Sutton Trust social mobility charity, called for a “renewed effort” from the government to deliver on its plans.

While the government’s intention is a “positive step”, he said, the charity had previously found that 38 per cent of state school teachers had seen increasing numbers of children coming to school hungry. Some 17 per cent had seen an increase in families asking to be referred to food banks.

“Hungry children can’t learn properly,” Mr Culinane said.

“We shouldn’t forget that, even with the recent uplift in funding rates, stretched school finances and staffing pressures can effectively bar progress on providing breakfast clubs,” he added.

‘Significant challenges’

Similarly, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT school leaders’ union, described the target as “laudable” but said schools will face “significant challenges” in setting up clubs.

Mr Whiteman said: “As it moves into the next phase of this scheme, it’s vitally important that the government recognises that each school is unique and some will face significant challenges in setting up and adapting existing breakfast clubs.

“We know for some school leaders there are real concerns about their ability to staff the clubs, as well as the costs involved. Many are also concerned about not disrupting existing wraparound provision, as well as the additional demands it could place on school staff.”

Mr Whiteman welcomed the decision to increase funding levels and urged the government to “continue to listen carefully” on implementing the policy.

Leaders have also expressed concerns that children with special educational needs and disabilities were prevented from attending breakfast clubs due to the government’s home-to-school transport policy requirements not covering pupils’ attendance at breakfast clubs.

Earlier this year, Tes pressed Ms Bailey on the issue but she was unable to commit to a policy change.