Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answers of 22 April 2025 to Questions 41031, 41032, 41033 and 41034, on Free School Meals: Primary Education, whether her Department’s modelling for the breakfast club early adopter scheme assumes an average take up of 50 per cent.

The department is funding 750 early adopter schools to provide access to a free, universal breakfast club lasting at least 30 minutes. Schools will receive a combination of set-up, fixed-term and per-pupil payments to cover staffing, delivery and food. Funding rates vary depending on uptake and pupil characteristics.

On average, a school with 50% take-up would receive around £23,000 for a full year. The funding model is designed to ensure that allocations reflect actual take up in early adopter schools.

A key aim of the early adopter programme is to test and learn about take-up across a diverse range of schools, to help inform future national rollout.

The department used existing programmes and cost data to determine the funding rates and methodology, which have been tested and refined with a number of schools. It is designed to ensure schools can meet the minimum expectations, including a 30 minute breakfast club with food that meets the school food standards.