12 March 2020

We are delighted to support International School Meals Day which raises awareness about the importance of good nutrition for all children regardless of their circumstances. The day emphasises the connection between healthy eating, education and better learning. Very much the message of Magic Breakfast!

This year the theme of the day is ‘Sharing Our Successes’. The news about child poverty in this country is often bleak, so we are pleased to share the positive impact Magic Breakfast is having on vulnerable children.

Magic Breakfast is now providing healthy school breakfasts to more than 48,400 children across the country. The feedback we get from schools is always very encouraging

“Magic Breakfast makes a difference. A healthy start to the day gives all children an equal opportunity to be the best they can be.”
Headteacher from a Magic Breakfast Partner School

"One family who often turned up for school without breakfast would regularly say they felt unwell or wouldn't be able to concentrate in class. They are benefitting hugely from having a regular breakfast and are more alert, switched on to learning and far more settled in class."
Teacher from a Magic Breakfast Partner School

One of the aims of International School Meals Day is to highlight the research being done about school meals.

We know, thanks to independent research, funded by the Education Endowment Foundation and carried out by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, that Y2 pupils in schools providing a free, nutritious 'magic' breakfast can boost their reading, writing and maths by an average of 2 months’ progress per year, compared to pupils in schools with no such breakfast provision. 

https://www.magicbreakfast.com/impact-of-magic-breakfast

And further on in their school careers breakfast continues to make a difference.

Research by the University of Leeds found a positive relationship between habitual school-day breakfast consumption frequency and GCSE attainment.

Basically, children who eat breakfast get better grades. As many as 1.8 million school age children are at risk of hunger in this country and many of them may not have access to breakfast at home. A healthy school breakfast will fill that gap and give them the best chance to succeed at school.

https://www.magicbreakfast.com/blog/research-links-breakfast-consumption-to-gcse-attainment

There is still much to be done. Over the last year we have increased our political activity making the case for school breakfasts, calling on the Prime Minister and all political parties, to commit to school breakfast legislation

We are currently working with Emma Lewell-Buck MP on a School Breakfast Bill which would guarantee schools with high levels of deprivation funding to provide a free healthy breakfast to pupils.

No child should be too hungry to learn, and breakfast is vital in order to open up a whole morning of learning.

Find out more about International School Meals Day here: http://internationalschoolmealsday.com/