Today, the Early Adopters Scheme begins, marking a milestone for school breakfasts!
This week, the first schools in the North of England are receiving their food deliveries as the UK Government’s Early Adopters Scheme (EAS) kicks off in around 750 selected primary schools. The pilot is a huge step forward in the journey toward ensuring no child starts the day too hungry to learn.
We’re excited to see the first schools taking part in the EAS pilot beginning to receive their deliveries. This moment marks a positive step toward the Government’s commitment to rolling out universal free breakfast in all primary schools in England in the coming years.
A milestone in tackling morning hunger
At Magic Breakfast, we’ve long championed the value of school breakfast as a proven way to boost attendance, improve concentration, and support children’s wellbeing. The launch of the EAS in approximately 750 primary schools in the coming weeks is a moment of real progress, and a chance to shape a long-term, sustainable policy that meets the needs of primary-aged children and school communities across England.
We believe this pilot must be a true test and learn opportunity, where government, schools, and delivery partners work together to find out what approaches work best, and which ones don’t. Much of this learning will come through the evaluation feedback and data collected throughout the scheme.
We also bring decades of insight from our work in schools, and we know what makes school breakfast truly effective. That’s why we’re approaching our role in the EAS in two key ways.
1. Advocating for what we know works
As the pilot runs, we will continue advocating for policy commitments we know will help breakfast reach those who need it most:
- Allowing flexible and extended models of delivery. Not just traditional breakfast clubs.
- Ensuring all children in SEND schools, no matter their age, are included from the start of national rollout.
- Providing expert support for schools, so breakfast provision aligns with the needs of local communities and school resources.
- Embedding a universal approach: where all children in a school can access the benefits of breakfast, free from stigma and barriers.
2. Listening and learning along the way
We’ll be closely engaging with our partner schools taking part in the scheme to make sure that feedback from teachers, staff, families, and most importantly: pupils, is heard. These experiences will help shape our recommendations and ensure the national rollout is as impactful and inclusive as possible.
Our continued commitment
Alongside supporting the EAS, Magic Breakfast will continue to deliver breakfasts to schools across our existing network in England and Scotland through both our charitable work and our partnerships with local authorities. We are also continuing to share our learning with both schools and the broader sector.
We know that morning hunger doesn’t start at age 5 or end at age 11. Many children and young people at risk of hunger, including those in early years, secondary schools, and older pupils in SEND schools, are not yet included in the rollout plans. We will continue to advocate for these groups to be part of future policy commitments, so that no child or young person is left behind.
As this pilot gets underway, we’re excited about what lies ahead, and we look forward to working with the Government and schools across the country to build a national school breakfast offer that ensures no child is too hungry to learn.