Last week Magic Breakfast called on the Scottish Government to ‘set out a path towards universal breakfast provision‘. And yesterday, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government – Shona Robison MSP – did just that. We are delighted by her announcement that by August 2027, just 580 days from now, there will be ‘a breakfast club for every single Scottish primary and special school’.
This means that whether you’re one of the 906 pupils in Dunbar Primary in East Lothian or one of the 2 in Kilchattan Primary on Colonsay – you will have access to breakfast at your school. Babies born today will grow up in a Scotland where school breakfast is as normal as publicly funded school lunch, prescriptions, or under-22 bus pass.
This has been made possible with £15 million of investment in this year’s Budget ‘to build on existing delivery… leading to the roll out of a national offer by August 2027’. Alongside this, the Scottish Government’s Spending Review commits over £100 million to a national breakfast club programme up to the end of the 2028/29 financial year.
School breakfasts will ensure that children go to school with a meal they otherwise wouldn’t have. For other families it will support household budgets and allow parents to increase their shifts or take on new work. We also know from our work with Pro Bono Economics that the 50 times return on investment is an economic boon for all Scots meaning that for every £1 invested in school breakfast provision, it can generate £50 for the economy.
We know that Scots will welcome this too, with 63% of adults saying in an independent poll that all children and young people should be offered school breakfasts. The education sector also knows the value of school breakfasts. Commenting on this week’s announcement the Chair of the Scottish Trade Union Congress Women’s Committee, Tara Lillis, said:
We know that neither empty tummies nor low self-esteem make for full days of learning in school, that is why the STUC Women’s Committee has been delighted to add their voice to calls to ensure every child in Scotland has the school breakfast they need to learn and thrive and why the Committee will continue to campaign for a universality of approach to all school meals - without fully removing means-testing too many young people miss out on access to healthy, nutritional food at school.”
School breakfast provision was one significant announcement in a Budget clearly aimed at tackling child poverty and supporting children, young people and their families. Alongside colleagues in the Poverty Alliance we welcome the announcement that the Scottish Child Payment will rise to £40 for eligible households with a baby under 1. As we approach the 2030 child poverty targets, investment like this is vital to delivering the First Minister’s commitment to eradicate child poverty.
We also celebrate the Scottish Government’s commitment to a summer of funded sporting opportunities for children and young people, announced as Scotland takes to the world stage by hosting the Commonwealth Games and the men’s national team competing in the FIFA World Cup.
At Magic Breakfast, we see every day how sport and activity – delivered alongside school breakfasts – help build confidence, teamwork, and healthy habits. This summer, the joy of sport will go hand in hand with positive routines and healthier lifestyles for young Scots.
This week’s Scottish Budget is not the only major moment for public policy this year. In a few weeks we’ll see the new Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan. This plan will see Scotland through to the legally binding 2030 targets, so it is vital that this delivers the investment the sector knows is needed.
And then in May, Scots head to the polls to elect the next Scottish Government. While this week’s announcements mark a major step forward for Scotland’s school food system, it will be the next Government that turns these plans into reality. We hope parties across the political spectrum will unite behind Scotland’s children and young people – delivering the national school breakfast club programme for all primary and special schools, and commit to extending it in early years and secondary settings.
We remain committed to working with all parties, on behalf of, and alongside children and young people, to offer a future where young Scots are nourished, empowered and thriving. £100 million of funding is currently just a number. But Magic Breakfast will keep working with the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, and Local Authorities until this welcome investment is delivered and feeding hungry tummies from Annan to Applecross.
