Every child and young person should arrive at school ready to learn, not distracted by hunger.
Yet 2.2 million children across the UK are at risk of going hungry in the morning. That’s five pupils in every class of 30.1 Government-funded breakfast provision is becoming part of primary education across much of the UK. But secondary schools are missing from these plans.
What we hear from our partner schools is clear. Breakfast is needed in secondary schools, and it is about much more than food.
“There can sometimes be assumptions that older pupils are more independent and therefore less affected by food insecurity or financial pressures at home. In reality, many secondary pupils are balancing complex challenges outside school which directly affect their learning and wellbeing.”
Magic Breakfast partner school
Our deep dive into breakfast, belonging and wellbeing in secondary schools delves into what schools and young people tell us about breakfast in their schools. We explore how school breakfast provision can create a sense of belonging, how it eases pressure on families, how it supports young people to learn and thrive, and how we can increase access to breakfast so that these benefits are accessible to all young people.
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- The Food Foundation, Food Insecurity Tracker June 2026, https://foodfoundation.org.uk/initiatives/food-insecurity-tracking#tabs/Round-19