Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of flat-rate per-pupil funding for breakfast clubs in mainstream schools on the accessibility of these clubs for pupils with SEND.

Following the success of the 750 early adopters, where we invested £30 million in the 2025/26 financial year, the department is now moving to national rollout, raising the budget to £80 million to fund an additional 2,000 schools joining the programme between April 2026 and March 2027.

The department has used the rich learning from the early adopters, existing programmes and costs to determine funding rates for national rollout, and this has been tested and refined with schools. This includes mainstream schools with special educational needs and disabilities pupils.

The funding rate for national rollout will take this learning into account and provide schools with the autonomy they need to allocate funding to promote inclusive access and ensure the offer reaches those who need it most.

The department will provide further information on the funding for national rollout in the near future, alongside specifics on eligibility, funding, and expectations.