Website of the Department of Health

Local authorities involved:

Herefordshire

Some schools in the cluster do have Breakfast Clubs, but these need to be built up and healthy eating needs to be encouraged. The schools have identified a cluster target of involving parents in breakfast clubs to promote healthy eating and to link the clubs with improving behaviour, attendance and raising achievement. Themes across the cluster vary with activities being linked into initiatives such AS tooth care and following up requests from young people such as having music playing.  They have contacted a significant number of partners including the Youth Counselling Trust, Redbridge Foods, Heartstart, the 5 A DAY Co-ordinator, Children's Fund, Health Promotion and Education Welfare, Early Years Children's Services who have all offered support and some hope to attend the clubs.   In order to sustain the project many parents have indicated that they will pay for sessions and South Wye Regeneration Project has offered possible sponsorship.

Sandwell

All schools in this cluster will be linking their breakfast club activity to parental involvement as well as healthy eating. They see the programme as an opportunity to raise the profile of arriving at school and link it to offering parents training that will provide both volunteers for the club and help employment prospects.  They state that they will promote ownership of the club by modelling the provision on young people's comments on what they wanted, which will be further enhanced by encouraging older pupils and further education students to be involved in the delivery of activities.  Activities vary across the clubs and include socialising, reading, TV news, and ICT, which is supported by partnership with rotary clubs, police and fire officers, the Health Authority and the PCT. They will create sustainability through these links and by charging for the breakfasts provided.

Stoke

Stoke schools will be targeting pupils who tend to arrive early, having bought sweets and fizzy pop for breakfast on their way to school and those who they believe do not normally receive breakfast at home, offering discrete free places where necessary. Their first priority is to get the children into the club where they can build on healthy eating aspects linked to educational activities.  The cluster has said it will start its activities simply then build on the foundations. This will assist with their sustainability and enable them to expand their food choices and activities slowly. They plan to forge links with before and after-school clubs that are already taking place on many sites, their school meals service, local supermarkets and the pottery industry in the area.

Telford & Wrekin

This LEA has a dedicated Breakfast Club Co-ordinator's post, which has been invaluable to the promotion of the project and will have positive long-term effects on its sustainability.  The cluster has elected to charge for their clubs and provide paid staff to run them. They have clear target groups including pupils that do not normally have breakfast, families in crisis, and those needing assistance with homework. Clear evaluation and success criteria plans and a celebration event have been organised. Their programme will utilise a number of positive connections including strong links between schools such as a walking bus scheme to allow pupils from one school to attend another's Breakfast Club, setting up Breakfast committees, with school governors being part of the group, registering Breakfast Clubs as charities to gain maximum funding links with a number of initiatives and a variety of partnership support.  Links with local businesses have resulted in goods such as free cereal and services being donated on an on-going basis, which will assist in subsidising and providing sustainability for breakfast clubs.

Walsall

The schools within this cluster already enjoy an active partnership and have an effective networking approach to delivery of the project. They plan to target pupils who do not normally have breakfast and introduce a charge to ensure the project is sustainable.  With community co-operation they are linking their Breakfast Clubs to exercise and sports and also intend to provide a warm, safe environment where pupils can access mentoring projects which they hope will improve their general well being. To support sustainability they are planning a number of community and partnership links and also will be organising termly staff meetings to discuss progress and share good practice.

Warwickshire

This cluster's schools include those in significant areas of deprivation and will target children who do not have breakfast, vulnerable pupils, those who are dropped off early at school and those who are regularly late for school.   They have positive and active links with many partners including Leisure Centres, Restaurants, Rotary Clubs, the Lions, St John Ambulance, doctors, dentists, and retailers, who will support their programme, and alongside voluntary staffing and community volunteers will add to its sustainability.  Planned regular meetings will enable them to recruit further support and promote best practice across the cluster. This will not only promote healthy eating but also encourage attendance and attainment.