Thousands of parents will be able to access 30 minutes of morning childcare from Tuesday as part of a trial beginning at the start of the new term and running to July, ahead of an expected national rollout.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the move would help with “breaking down barriers to opportunity” but school leaders have warned the pilot could lead to budget shortfalls.
The trial was initially backed by funding of £7 million, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing in the autumn budget that more than £30 million would be allocated overall for breakfast clubs in 2025-26.
Labour made a manifesto commitment to spend £315 million on the programme by 2028-29.
Ministers expect the scheme to give parents of primary-aged children up to 95 additional hours and save them £450 per year in childcare costs.
The headteachers’ union has welcomed the expansion of breakfast clubs, which some schools already run, but said education leaders involved in the pilot had suggested the funding “just isn’t sufficient”.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, said: “There is no doubt that a good breakfast can be positive for children’s health and help them to focus on their learning.
“While we welcome the intentions behind the programme, the initial feedback we are hearing from many school leaders participating in ...
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