School meals- Setting up breakfast clubs in schools

School meals are vital to provide pupils with as they won’t be hungry during lesson time and can concentrate. Also, some pupils may not have time or resources to have food packed by their parents. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and as a teacher, it is important to vouch for a breakfast club.

Due to teachers mainly attending the club, it is vital for you to understand setting up breakfast clubs in schools and how to do this. To help you, we have sourced the key areas you need to think about when setting up a breakfast club and what you can do to persuade senior members to approve the club.

What is a breakfast club?

Breakfast clubs in schools give every child a chance to start their day off with a full stomach, preparing them for the day ahead. They are typically led but can also be run by volunteers or school catering staff. These clubs also give children the opportunity to have fun with their friends and have a healthy, filling breakfast before school begins.

School breakfast clubs can improve pupils’ attendance, concentration, punctuality and behaviour. They can even benefit parents as it helps with childcare if they need to leave for work very early.

Setting up breakfast clubs

Identify why

Think about the reasons why you would like to help with and create a breakfast club. Discuss amongst your colleagues too, and tie in a senior member of staff to help make it happen. The main reason it is good to vouch for a school breakfast club is it reduces hunger and aids children with healthy eating.

Other reasons why, could be to encourage your class to come to school on time, help them concentrate and settle into your classroom early, ready to begin.

Work out a schedule

If you are interested in creating a breakfast club, organise with your colleagues a schedule for staffing. Work out who would like to help and what days they can do. It can be quite difficult to get an appropriate number of teachers staffing due to the early start. However, if you and your colleagues do a rota to make it fair, this can be shown to the headteacher or SBM. Doing this can persuade a senior staff member to make a breakfast club for pupils. Make sure to stick to the schedule with the agreed members of staff to make it work.

Consider location

Think about the location of the breakfast club and discuss it with a senior member of staff too. Most schools hold breakfast clubs in the main dining hall as its spacious and can fit every pupil that attends. Consider how many children will join the club too. It’s always good to think about how many from your class will attend and then ask your colleagues about their classes. This can then be reflected to the headteacher or SBM to approve the club.

Get equipment

Make sure to have all the basic equipment needed and purchase if needed. You may need to have any products approved by senior staff or the school’s finance department. The basics you need for a breakfast club are a large toaster, kettle, plates and bowls, and cups.

Research regulations

For all school meals you need to know the regulations that need to be followed to ensure safety. These regulations are:

• Health and safety- this applies to the premises, equipment, storage of food and waste disposal.
• Public and employer liability insurance- this is to cover any injuries that may occur to children, and everyone involved in the club.
• Child-to-adult ratios- the number of children attending needs the correct amount of adults present. Police and staff checks are also done, which a senior member of staff will organise.

Think of costs

Many breakfast clubs have limited resources, and as a teacher, it’s important to think about costs and how to keep them down. List down things you can do to help limit costs to persuade senior staff to create the club. Some areas you can control are using as much existing equipment as possible. You can also research local supermarkets and libraries to see if there is an opportunity for help in kind. They may be able to offer free food and toys, and books for entertainment too.

It is also worth looking into fundraising and funding from the government for extra support. Plus, it can be something the headteacher or SBM can do to make the club happen.

What do parents and pupils want?

You could ask your pupils in your class what they would like out of the breakfast club. Doing this encourages them to be a part of it and gains their interest in attending. Talk to your colleagues so that they can have the same conversations with their class. Make sure to take notes and compare with colleagues to figure out how best to run the club.

Once the pupils’ ideas have been addressed, reach out to the parents of your class to see what they would like for their children. Ask about what foods they recommend the club provides and what time will be best for it to start. You can then start setting up the breakfast club with your colleagues and senior staff’s approval.

Promote and monitor the club

Once the club is up and running, promote it to your class and encourage your colleagues to do the same. You could get together to create a creative and fun display for the school in a main corridor. You could even create posters to put up around the school. To entice pupils further, bring in some games, toys and breakfast items for your class to enjoy when their lessons start. This will give them a small taste of what the breakfast club will be like. Make sure to promote to parents, too, with the help of a senior staff member if needed.

Monitor the success of the club to show the results to the headteacher or SBM. Find out from pupils and parents that attend what is going well and what may need to change. Make small changes when necessary and evaluate every aspect of the club.

It’s important to provide pupils with school meals, especially at the start of the day. Setting up breakfast clubs in schools takes a lot of planning but provides children with many benefits. Pupils can have a healthy breakfast that prepares them for the day, as breakfast is the most important meal of the day. They can socialise and have fun, all while fuelling their bodies so they can concentrate on school. Make sure to take part in the club as often as you can and encourage your colleagues to do the same.

To help your pupils further with their eating habits and encourage them to choose healthier options, check out our blog now.