Hungry Minds- York Council breakfast clubs in more schools

The schools are set to start offering free breakfasts from the summer term with funding from the Hungry Minds programme to run clubs for three years.

Matt Brown, headteacher at Osbaldwick Primary Academy, which is one of those chosen for the expansion, said breakfasts would help children learn and thrive and support families during challenging times.

Cllr Bob Webb, York Council’s Labour children’s spokesperson, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) the move would take his administration’s pilot scheme to children across the city.

The schools chosen for the expansion are:

• Haxby Road Primary
• Hob Moor Primary
• Lakeside Primary
• New Earswick Primary
• Osbaldwick Primary
• Poppleton Road Primary
• St Lawrences Primary
• Stockon on Forest Primary
• Tang Hall Primary
• Woodthorpe Primary

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It comes as part of a scheme which began with funding lunches for children in Years Three to Six at Westfield Primary Community School in January 2024.

The council has committed £100,000-a-year to fund the meals at Westfield until at least the end of the current Labour administration’s term next year.

Free breakfasts have also been offered to children in Burton Green Primary School and Fishergate Primary School through Hungry Minds, which is financed through council grants and private donations.

The council estimated in July that more than 50,000 meals had been served through the programme and the latest expansion is expected to provide 170,000 breakfasts.

The programme was launched to help disadvantaged children with the cost of living crisis and it comes as the Government is planning a national expansion of free breakfast clubs.

Research from the University of York and University of Leeds and feedback from teachers has found children’s behaviour, attendance and concentration in lessons has improved.

But the programme has faced criticism including from the council’s Liberal Democrat opposition councillors who have questioned whether it is value for money and how future expansions will be financed.

It is estimated that rolling out free school meals to all 57 of York’s primary schools would cost around £3 million a year.

Liberal Democrats also claimed the move to free breakfast clubs is a departure from the lunches first funded at Westfield and said children outside the programme were being left out.

Labour Children’s Executive Member Cllr Webb told LDRS officials had chosen the schools where they believed the biggest difference could be made to struggling children and families.

York Council’s Labour Children’s Executive Member Cllr Bob Webb (back) with council Leader Cllr Claire Douglas (end, left) and school pupils (Image: City of York Council)

He added the move to breakfast clubs was based on the academic research done which showed they were better value for money.

The executive member said: “It gives children a soft start to the school day, instead of going straight into lessons they can chat to their friends and talk about what’s going on at home.

“The data so far shows this is showing real improvements in the children who are part of these pilots.

“In an ideal world we’d do this everywhere at the same time, but I don’t not want to do this just because we can’t do it everywhere.

“I want to thank school staff for putting time and effort into bringing this about, it’s a positive thing that will support a lot of young people in the city.”