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<\/div>Want to Learn More?<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
We have a number of\u00a0Food Hygiene Training Courses<\/a>\u00a0that you can complete online and at your convenience. From\u00a0Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0Conducting a Food Allergy-Safe Breakfast Club<\/a>, you will find a range of training suitable for food handlers in schools.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n A school breakfast club is a club for children that takes place before school starts. They\u2019re typically run on the school premises, allowing children to walk to their classrooms when the school day begins. They can be led by teachers, teaching assistants, school catering staff, volunteers, or people who are employed specifically for the club.<\/p>\n\n\n At a school breakfast club, children have the opportunity to have fun with their friends and have a filling breakfast before the day\u2019s learning begins. Some children who attend a breakfast club may not otherwise have breakfast and so breakfast clubs can be crucial to preparing them for the upcoming school day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n School breakfast clubs are known to improve attendance, punctuality, concentration, behaviour, and educational attainment. They can also benefit parents by fulfilling a childcare function if they must start work earlier than school begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The government invested \u00a380 million in the financial year 2026 to 2027 to support 2,000 new schools joining the 750 schools that have already successfully delivered free breakfast clubs. For schools that are part of the free breakfast club programme, or those joining the programme in the 2026 to 2027 financial year, there are set grant conditions that they must meet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Schools and trusts engaged on the programme must deliver a breakfast club that is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Schools are required to offer a place at their breakfast club that meets all the criteria above to all pupils who want one. Schools cannot limit the number of places available.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Whilst schools must meet the minimum requirements<\/strong>, they do have flexibility over how they design their free breakfast clubs. The Department for Education (DfE) recognises that schools are best placed to decide how to deliver for their pupils and their local communities. In order to create clubs that pupils want to attend, the DfE advises that schools consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can read the DfE\u2019s free breakfast club guidance here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Schools must also have regard for their safeguarding responsibilities when providing wraparound childcare, along with the statutory guidance on keeping children safe in education. Schools must ensure that all staff receive safeguarding training<\/a> and that they know the identity of the designated safeguarding lead<\/a> (DSL). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Schools can also benefit from investing in additional training such as High Speed Training\u2019s free course Conducting a Food Allergy-Safe Breakfast Club<\/a>. Created in partnership with Natasha\u2019s Foundation<\/a>, the training will teach learners how to run a food allergy-safe breakfast club that enables all children to feel safe and included. When preparing any food for children, it\u2019s important that staff understand good food hygiene practices and how to prepare food safely. Level 2 Food Safety and Hygiene for Catering<\/a> training will provide staff with the appropriate knowledge to prepare, cook and handle food safely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondary School Breakfast Clubs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The new regulations mandate the provision of free breakfast clubs for primary school children. The provision of free breakfast clubs is currently not mandatory for secondary schools in the UK.<\/strong> As such, any breakfast clubs that a school put on for older students are voluntary. However, there are still school food standards that must be adhered to when providing breakfast for secondary school pupils. These standards will be outlined later on in this article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The school food standards<\/a> are a set of legal requirements for state-funded schools in England. They came into force on 1st January 2015 and were introduced in the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014<\/a>. They establish standards that apply to the food and drink that is provided to pupils on school premises. The school food standards were designed to help children develop healthy eating habits and to ensure that the food they eat at school provides them with sufficient energy to get the most out of their school day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Subject to Parliamentary approval, changes will be introduced to the school food standards that will come into effect from September 2027. These changes will reflect the latest government dietary recommendations by introducing more fresh fruit, vegetables and fibre-rich foods. The proposed changes will also introduce new breakfast standards. Introducing breakfast standards will help to ensure a healthy, balanced offer at breakfast that is in line with the rest of the school day. A starchy carbohydrate must form the basis of the breakfast offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While the existing standards apply across the whole school day, including breakfast, there are no specific standards for breakfast provision.<\/p>\n\n\n The new breakfast standards are expected to be as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crumpets, teacakes and unsweetened pancakes are excluded from meeting the fibre requirement of containing at least 4g fibre\/100g or at least 50% wholemeal flour. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n Compliance with the new breakfast standards is a legal requirement for state-funded schools<\/strong>. The standards help to ensure that children have enough energy to support their learning throughout the school day, enabling them to make the most out of their education. Moreover, they teach children healthy eating habits and the importance of a varied and balanced diet. As such, the school food standards can be seen as more than a legal requirement, but as a vital foundation to lifelong healthy habits. To help support the implementation of these standards we have created free downloadable posters which can help staff and catering providers with menu planning by ensuring that the necessary requirements are met for each food category. <\/p>\n\n\n\n These posters can also be used as a checklist when menu planning to ensure that each standard has been adequately met. This can help school leadership to remain confident that they are providing a healthy and varied selection of foods that meet the necessary standards.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat is a School Breakfast Club?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nSchool Breakfast Club Regulations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n\n\n\nWhat Should be on a School Breakfast Club Menu?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Breakfast cereals:
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\n Breads and bakery goods:
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\n Fruits and vegetables:
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\n Dairy and plant-based versions:
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\n Proteins:
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\n Spreads:
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\n Sugar and no and low-calorie sweeteners:
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\n Drinks
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