Projects
Breakfast clubs
Breakfast clubs can be a key means of helping children from disadvantaged backgrounds to make a success of nursery and primary school. They can also help the Government meet its ambitious targets for children in health, schools and childcare. But finding the money to develop the clubs in more schools is proving extremely difficult.
Our research suggests that breakfast clubs help children with:
- Attendance and punctuality.
- Improved concentration in class, and better discipline.
- Better social interaction.
- Better contact between teachers and parents.
Clubs may be particularly beneficial in areas of high social need.
We have been researching breakfast clubs since 1998 when we held a seminar to examine the contribution this form of out-of-school provision can make in supporting children. Much of this work has been undertaken in association with Education Extra.
The products of this work include (in reverse chronological order):
- A review of the impact or otherwise that breakfast clubs have actually had in terms of children's education performance, health and more general behaviour, Improving breakfast clubs - lessons from the best. View/download the report.
- In conjunction with Kellogg's, Breakfast Clubs: A How To Guide in spring 2000. View/download the report.
- A full research report Food for thought which presents the findings of interviews with 35 breakfast clubs, and made recommendations on what needs to be done to allow breakfast clubs to flourish. View/download the report.
- A pamphlet of edited essays, Fit for school: how breakfast clubs meet health, education and child care needs, discussing various aspects of club development. View/download the report.