450,109 primary school pupils have no or limited access to breakfast clubs.

Rochdale MP, Tony Lloyd, is backing Labour’s plans to fix this.

Tony said, “Reports have shown that 17.3% of five-year olds in Rochdale are eligible for free school meals, compared to 14% nationally.

“These reports also show that reception pupils in Rochdale are more likely to be disadvantaged than across England nationally.

“The evidence is clear. Breakfast clubs raise standards of learning for children, give parents choices and will help us build the economy of the future.

“That is why Labour in government will offer a breakfast club in every primary school in England as the first step on the road to a modern system of childcare.”

69% of primary schools in the North West have “barriers” to disadvantaged children and young people accessing provision, including the cost both families and schools of running breakfast clubs, a perceive lack of need in areas of high deprivation and caps on places for children on Free School Meals.

Figures from Magic Breakfast show that, nationally, 3,021 primary schools, 18% of the total, do not offer breakfast clubs, leaving 838,000 primary school children with no access to breakfast clubs equivalent to nearly 28,000 classes of 30. Among schools that do offer a breakfast club 55% of schools in England had barriers to access.

Labour’s plan will enable parents to work as well as strengthening children’s development, driving up standards in reading, writing and maths, contrasting this with the Conservatives’ failure to close the education attainment gap and support parents with young children to continue working the jobs and hours they choose.

How will this be funded?
The “landmark” new approach to childcare will be funded by money raised from abolishing non-dom tax status for the global super rich. Labour says that, under its plans, families could save over £60 a week compared to other forms of before school childcare, amid the cost-of-living crisis.


—Ends—

Notes for editors:-

Region	% of schools with barriers to access	No. pupils facing barriers to access
North West	69	450109

• Regional Barriers to Access to Breakfast Clubs, according to Magic Breakfast (numbers assume that eg 74% of schools equates to 74% of pupils).

• According to Magic Breakfast 18% of schools in England don’t offer breakfast provision.

• Pupil numbers in Primary Schools by region

 
Source
 

• Total state funded primary school pupils in England

 
Source 

• For Rochdale pupils in early years education, overall attainment at age 5 is lower than the national average. Reception pupils in Rochdale are more likely to be disadvantaged than across England nationally.
  
  The share of pupils aged 5 in Rochdale who were eligible for free school meals was 17.3 per cent in 2019, compared to 14.0 per cent nationally
  
  These are pupils who have been eligible for free school meals for at least 80 per cent of their school lifetimes.
  
  In 2019 the share of persistently disadvantaged pupils was 13.3 per cent in Rochdale. These are pupils who have been eligible for free school meals for at least 80 per cent of their school lifetimes.

Source