A West Devon school has become one of the first of the Government’s 750 schools to provide free daily breakfast clubs as part of a pilot scheme ahead of a planned England-wide rollout.

From April, Tavistock Primary School will join 180,000 pupils in England offered ‘healthy, varied and nutritious breakfasts’ provided by the school before class in a bid to tackle child poverty and improve learning and behaviour.

Breakfast clubs ensure children eat before school, even if their parents are struggling in the cost of living crisis. Other benefits include helping children adapt to starting school every morning and allowing year groups to mix.

Parents will be able to drop off children 30 minutes before their usual school time, knowing they will be offered a free breakfast.

Tavistock Primary School already offers breakfast clubs as part of its ‘wraparound’ care. But the new scheme, which the school applied for, allows the school to expand its provision through government funding.

Headteacher Laura Handel said: “We have offered wraparound care for many years now, in the form of a breakfast club from 8am and an after-school club until 6pm.

“However, there is a cost to parents for this provision. This new government funding allows us to extend our breakfast club provision and offer 30 minutes for free.

“From next term we will open at 7.40am, with the 8.10am to 8.40am half-hour free. Children can arrive at any point during the opening times. This brings several advantages for parents wishing to send their children in early, to have breakfast in school and play with peers, before the school day officially begins.”

She said working parents will therefore have more time in the morning to get to work, without the worry of a drop-off time for school start – giving a calmer start to the day for families.

She added: “Many children find the transition from home to school challenging and struggle to separate from parents and carers at the school door. The 'soft start' of the breakfast club suits these children better, as they are more willing to come into school for a bowl of cereal and a chat with their friends.”

Also, because the breakfast club welcomes all ages, it encourages socialising. Laura said: “The older children love to take care of the younger children and the play between them is extraordinary. Communication skills have improved due to these interactions.

“The excellent staff who run our breakfast club manage eating breakfast and morning activities that ensure children start school calm, focused and ready to learn.

“It is much harder to learn, if you are hungry. For families living in poverty, a free breakfast club can ensure no child needs to start the day on an empty stomach. “

She added: “We did have to apply and put forward a proposal for how we would make it work. We applied for all these reasons and are delighted to see our name on the list when it came out.”