750 schools roll out free breakfast clubs from today saving parents £450 a year
As children return from the Easter holidays today (April 22), 750 schools in England will open new free breakfast clubs, providing 30 minutes of morning childcare.
The new clubs which launched on Tuesday, are part of a trial that will run until July ahead of an expected national roll out promised in last year's Labour manifesto.
In total, it's thought the programme will help parents get up to 95 hours back a year and save them £450 annually, if their child attends every day.
The movement also means parents will no longer be 'hamstrung by rigid school hours', the Prime Minister has said.
This Labour government's free breakfast clubs will ensure children are fuelled up and ready to learn, all while saving parents up to £450. With our Plan for Change, children will enjoy the best start in life. pic.twitter.com/qDLvtaiC1V
— The Labour Party (@UKLabour) April 20, 2025
Sir Keir Starmer explained: 'The rollout of free breakfast clubs is a truly game-changing moment for families in this country.
'They mean parents will no longer be hamstrung by rigid school hours and have the breathing space they need to beat the morning rush, attend work meetings and doctors' appointments, or run errands. And crucially, it means better life chances for children.
'By making these clubs free and universal, we're doing something that previous governments have never done.
'We're going further and faster to deliver the change working families deserve. That's the change this government was elected to deliver.'
The government has said the 750 free breakfast clubs are a 'key tool' to tackle barriers to learning in schools, with 500,000 primary school pupils missing at least one day of school every fortnight last year, one in every three pupils not ready to start school at age five and one in every 50 pupils suspended at least once.
But teaching unions have warned that the money provided by the government will not be enough to cover the cost of expanding breakfast clubs.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said 'initial feedback' from schools was that the funding 'just isn't sufficient'.
The government has previously insisted the funding will be enough to deliver the programme.
Starting after the Easter break: free breakfast clubs in 750 primary schools across England. That's 30 minutes of free childcare before school, saving families up to £450 a year. We're delivering on our Plan for Change and putting more money back in parents' pockets. pic.twitter.com/ZVZrw5LQdW
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) April 20, 2025
Ministers have also claimed that the provision of 30 hours of free childcare per week from September, up from 15 hours a week, will save parents up to another £7,500 a year.
But early years groups have warned that financial pressures will mean some childcare providers will be forced to limit the number of government-funded places on offer or close entirely.
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Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'Free breakfast clubs are at the heart of our Plan for Change, making working parents' lives easier and more affordable, while breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child.
'From Tyneside to Truro, England is one of the first countries in Europe to open universal free breakfast clubs, saving parents up to £450 per year and making sure every child starts school ready to learn.
'This government is delivering on our promises to working parents, rolling out free breakfast clubs, school-based nurseries, and giving every child across the country the best start in life.'
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