Words by Smiley Team
Magic Breakfast is a charity providing healthy breakfasts and wrap-around support to children in the UK who arrive at school too hungry to learn. The charity works with 480 schools in disadvantaged areas of England and Scotland, normally ensuring that more than 48,400 children start their school day with the energy and nutrition they need to be able to make the most of their morning lessons. Prior to the pandemic, there were 1.8 million children in the UK at risk of hunger.
The survey revealed that over half (57%) of teachers anticipated that there would be an increase in the number of children arriving to school hungry in September 2020 compared to the previous year. For schools with above average levels of disadvantage, this increases to 64% of teachers.
Hunger has a significant impact upon learning outcomes and 64% of teachers surveyed think that hunger will harm efforts to catch children up on the learning they missed out on during school closures. This rises to almost four in five teachers (79%) in schools with above average levels of disadvantage.
The survey also asked teachers what policies they support to tackle child hunger. Teachers overwhelmingly want firm action taken to ensure children at risk of hunger have access to a free school breakfast. 86% of teachers surveyed support a nationwide programme to ensure children at risk of hunger have access to a free breakfast during the school term.
Three quarters of teachers (74%) of teachers surveyed believe that school breakfasts will help children catch up on learning. This rises to 83% of teachers in schools with above average levels of disadvantage.
Nicola Noble, co-Head Teacher of Surrey Square Primary School in London, said: “The results of this survey reflect the challenges I have experienced at my school. Many of our families are struggling to put food on the table as a result of COVID-19 related income and job losses and are looking to the school for help.”
“With support from Magic Breakfast, we have been able to provide free school breakfasts to children at risk of hunger since 2011 and I’ve seen first-hand the difference this makes. Pupils start the day with full stomachs, feeling settled and calm, and are better behaved and more able to concentrate on lessons. This will make a massive difference as we begin the task of supporting wellbeing and catching up on missed learning, come September.”
The findings reinforce previous research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Education Endowment Foundation which found that Year 2 pupils in schools with a universal, free school breakfast provision made two months’ additional academic progress in one year, compared to children in schools with no such breakfast provision.
In light of the survey results, Magic Breakfast’s CEO, Alex Cunningham, has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson, to call for urgent action on school breakfasts.
Magic Breakfast is calling on the Government to bring forward school breakfast legislation to guarantee schools with high levels of disadvantage the long term, sustained support they need to provide free school breakfasts to children at risk of hunger.
This call has been backed by Arla, Heinz, Kellogg’s, and the New York Bakery Co. who have been working with Magic Breakfast to get breakfast food to children throughout the pandemic, whether they are at school or under lockdown at home.
Magic Breakfast’s CEO, Alex Cunningham, said: “After months of school closures, it is deeply worrying that so many children are expected to return to school too hungry to catch up on the learning they have missed out on. Without Government action, these children will fall even further behind and the education attainment gap will continue to widen.
During the pandemic, we have rightly applauded teachers who have gone above and beyond for their pupils. Now we must act to address their concerns. Legislation is urgently needed to guarantee children at risk of hunger have access to a free healthy school breakfast, unlocking hours of learning and enabling them to reach their full potential”.
The Government currently funds school breakfasts through the National School Breakfast Programme, which is implemented by Magic Breakfast and Family Action. The Programme has demonstrated a positive impact on children’s ability to learn, however, it reaches roughly 20% of the 1.8 million school age children at risk of hunger in the UK, and it is due to end in March 2021.
To find out more about how you can support the work of Magic Breakfast and ensure no child is prevented from learning by hunger head to https://www.magicbreakfast.com/
