ANOTHER helping of free breakfast clubs is being served to local children and their mums and dads.
It’s more welcome news for families and yet more evidence of this Labour government’s determination to cut the cost of living.
Pupils at Ormsgill Primary School are now enjoying the wave of free, daily breakfast clubs as part of our landmark Best Start scheme that will ensure children are school-ready and parents are better off.
In time Labour will make them available at all our schools.
We want kids with hungry minds, not hungry bellies at the start of a school day.
The Ormsgill school joins Lindal and Marton School and Waberthwaite School pupils who are already accessing free breakfasts and at least 30 minutes of free childcare every day which directly supports mums and dads getting into work.
When applications opened back in November, I made it a mission of mine to secure a club for local children and families – I know the difference they can make.
Ormsgill Primary School children already receive help from a successful breakfast club in partnership with the Magic Breakfast charity which offers nutritious food such as porridge, bagels and juice – along with activities including arts and crafts, Lego and extra outdoor play.
Evidence shows that breakfast clubs can boost children’s reading, writing and maths attainment by an average of two months’ additional progress.
Taken together, Labour’s breakfast clubs will boost parents’ work choices and children’s life chances.
These measures come alongside Labour’s wider plans to cut the cost of living for families.
Our 30 hours of government-funded childcare is saving families £7,500 per child, per year.
We’ve expanded free school meals to half-a-million more children, saving families £500.
We’ve secured the future of Best Start holiday clubs and we’re passing a law to cut the cost of school uniform, set to save families £50 on the back-to-school shop.
The Best Start free breakfast club at Ormsgill Primary School is a testament to the school and the Labour government’s dedication to improving children’s attendance, attainment, wellbeing, behaviour and readiness for school.
That’s why it’s such a shame that under the Tories, these clubs were available to just one in 10 primary schools.
There’s another significant element to this policy: it will help Labour bear down on the levels of child poverty that were left far too high by the Conservatives.
Our landmark Child Poverty Strategy is set to drive the biggest reduction in child poverty in a single parliament.
I believe that children growing up in Barrow and Furness deserve the best start in life, nothing less.
That’s why I’m giving my full backing to this measure.
Labour’s mission is to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child, so where you’re from doesn’t determine where you end up – and if you work hard, you can get on in life.