Local MP Alan Mak has endorsed the National School Breakfast Programme, which is providing free school breakfasts in six schools in the Havant constituency
The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP), delivered by charities Family Action and Magic Breakfast, has already reached 1,775 schools in disadvantaged areas across England and is providing free and nutritious breakfasts to an estimated 280,000 children every school day. The Havant schools supported by the programme are Fairfield Infant School, Bidbury Junior School, Crookhorn College, Park Community School, Barncroft Primary School and Havant Academy.
It ensures that none of these children start the day too hungry to learn, reduces educational attainment gaps between pupils and supports pupils to develop lifelong healthy eating habits.
Alan is the former President of Magic Breakfast and has advocated since first being elected the benefits of a healthy breakfast.
He said: “Every child should have the right to a healthy breakfast and I’m a strong believer in the work being done by breakfast charities to improve education. The National School Breakfast Programme is excellent in contributing to social mobility by giving every child the chance to excel at school and to achieve their own unique potential, regardless of their socioeconomic background.
“I’m working closely with Magic Breakfast to increase their coverage in the Havant constituency and I’ll continue to campaign in Westminster for the importance of school breakfasts.”
An evaluation of the Magic Breakfast model, upon which the NSBP is based, by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found that children in primary schools where free, universal breakfast is provided achieve an average of two months additional academic progress in reading and maths over the course of a year, compared to children in schools with no such provision in place. These benefits were observed not just in the pupils eating breakfast at school, but also their peers.
Teachers surveyed also reported that breakfast provision improved behaviour, alertness and concentration amongst pupils who might otherwise be missing out on a whole morning of learning.
