Families in Ilkeston and the wider Erewash area are set to benefit from a major expansion of free school breakfast clubs starting this April.
The government confirmed today that Kensington Junior Academy, Chaucer Infant School, and Stanley Common C of E Primary are among 129 schools across the East Midlands joining the “Best Start” scheme. The initiative aims to support working parents and ensure no child starts the day hungry.
Schools already using the programme report that it can save families up to £450 a year and provide an extra 95 hours of “precious time” for parents each morning.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who was raised by a single parent, said: “Free breakfast clubs are revolutionising morning routines. From settling a child into the school day to helping parents get to work, they are giving every child the best start in life”.
The clubs are also designed to tackle the “stigma” often attached to free school meals by making them available to all pupils, regardless of household income. New polling shows that 60% of parents are more likely to use the support when it is open to everyone.
Other local schools on the list include William Lilley Infant and Nursery and Larkfields Junior School in nearby Nottinghamshire.
Applications are now open for a second wave of 1,500 more schools to join the scheme in September.
Local Schools on the List:
- Kensington Junior Academy, Derbyshire
- Chaucer Infant School, Derbyshire
- Stanley Common C of E Primary School, Derbyshire
- William Lilley Infant and Nursery School, Nottinghamshire
- Larkfields Junior School, Nottinghamshire
