All Milton Keynes schools urged to offer pupils free breakfast plus 30 minutes of free early morning childcare

MK Labour is asking them to to join the 750 school ‘early adopter’ rollout of the government’s new free breakfast club programme - and support local children to start the school day ready to learn.

Families in Milton Keynes will soon be able to access 30 minutes of quality childcare ahead of the start of the school day as the government pushes ahead with free breakfast clubs across the country.

From this week, local schools can apply to become one of 750 early adopters of tghe roll out, with clubs to launch from April 2025.

The news comes after MK Labour made it a local manifesto commitment to introduce free breakfast clubs across the city, with the Labour authority already working with Milton Keynes schools.

Cllr Joe Hearnshaw, Cabinet member for Children and Young People said: “Free breakfast clubs are great for parents, great for kids, and great for our economy too. Labour’s breakfast clubs will make a huge difference for families in Milton Keynes - they make it easier for busy parents to make the time for work and dropping off the kids, they ensure children don’t start school hungry, and they help families with the cost of living too.”

Chris Curtis, MP for Milton Keynes North, said: “Labour was elected to change Britain and this is exactly what that means. This is a huge opportunity for local schools to get in early and start reaping the benefits of free breakfast clubs from April next year.

“I strongly encourage local schools to apply.”

More than two in five non-working mothers say that they would prefer to work if they could arrange good quality, convenient, reliable and affordable childcare, and over half of parents say they have problems finding formal childcare for their child that is flexible enough to fit their needs.

The breakfast clubs form part of the government’s mission to break the unfair link between background and opportunity. Delivering change that can be felt by working people, early adopters will offer all children at their school access to a free breakfast and at least 30 minutes of free before school childcare, every day.

This action to kick-start the programme comes fast after the Budget, which tripled investment in breakfast clubs to over £33 million for 2025-26, supporting the early adopter scheme as well as the continuation of the National School Breakfast Club Programme next year, so no child faces a cliff-edge on current provision.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “This is a landmark opportunity for schools to be in the vanguard of change, as we build back the foundations of an education system that breaks the link between children’s background, and the opportunities they have in life.

“From helping with flexible working for families, to improving behaviour and attendance, the supportive start to the day that breakfast clubs provide will help drive high and rising standards for every child. This government is delivering change that will make a real difference to families up and down the country.”

The wider paid-for wraparound childcare offer – for all primary children to be able to access childcare between 8am-6pm – continues to roll out across the country.