Earlier this year we sent out our annual ‘Measuring and Monitoring’ (M&M) survey to our partner schools throughout England and Scotland.
This survey sheds light on the impact of our breakfast provision within schools and how partner schools are being affected by ongoing changes to their community. The insights we garner allow us to not only better understand the schools we work with and the challenges they face, but also to tailor our approach in response to their specific needs.
The responses from our partner schools strongly suggest a continued rise of both hunger and poverty within their school communities. Of the 648 schools that completed the survey, 71% stated that child hunger had increased in their school community in the past year, and 75% believed that child poverty had risen.
When exploring the drivers of these increases, schools’ answers overwhelmingly pointed to the cost-of-living crisis, with a staggering 80% of schools citing it as the primary driver. This finding is especially striking given that, while the media coverage of the cost of living crisis is diminishing, its damaging impact on schools, pupils and their families remains.
The responses from the survey suggest that schools are increasingly becoming more than just a place for learning, and now function as a multifaceted support for wider families. An increase in uniform offerings was cited by 57% of schools, as well as hygiene products, food banks, and fuel vouchers. These results demonstrate a shift in the role of schools. They now stand at the forefront of the cost-of-living crisis.
Not only have schools continued to experience widening inequality among their pupils but have also found that the cost of living crisis has a negative impact on pupils’ ability to learn. This is especially true for older pupils, with 74% of the secondary schools we support seeing a negative impact on pupils’ ability to learn due to the cost of living crisis.
As part of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, the Labour Government has pledged to roll out free school breakfast in all primary schools in England. Magic Breakfast welcomes the Government’s commitment to investing in improving educational standards, however the risk of child morning hunger does not stop at the end of primary school. The insights from our M&M survey are further evidence of the need to ensure all children and young people have access to a healthy breakfast that will enable them to reach their educational potential.
Our Year 11’s are currently sitting their GCSE’s and Magic Breakfast has been crucial to their focus and readiness for their exams. Every single Year 11 pupil has arrived early for their exam so that they can have breakfast before they begin.”
The cost of living crisis undoubtedly continues to have an impact on students’ learning and ability to be prepared for lessons. Over a quarter of schools said hunger and food insecurity impacted children’s ability to learn due to poor concentration, increased tiredness and behavioural issues. Moreover, it goes beyond this direct impact as one in seven respondent schools noted that the stress and anxiety of the cost of living crisis at home was deeply affecting students’ mental health and ability to learn.
You cannot concentrate if you are hungry. It is a basic human need and right. We see that children can be quite fragile transitioning in some mornings due to stress in the house linked to finances. This means that they aren’t ready for learning.”
Teacher, Magic Breakfast partner school
With the new school year now underway and our new government begins to draw out the contents of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill, the findings from this survey illustrate the importance of the work of Magic Breakfast in supporting the ever-growing demands on schools. Our breakfast provision is a key pillar in school communities, having a significant impact on learning as well as providing a core service to families in need.
Teachers consistently highlighted the power of Magic Breakfast’s work, with over 90% of schools noting an improvement in energy and alertness levels, concentration in class, and readiness to learn. One school pointed to the impact of Magic Breakfast’s support in creating a safe and calm environment:
Morning registration has become the highlight of many class days! The pupils love walking into the school building every morning, smelling the freshly toasted bagels, and knowing that staff are ready and waiting to provide the nourishment they need. Pupils are content. They feel safe and this is reflected in the positive behaviour displayed in the classrooms. We are thrilled with the impact that Magic Breakfast has had on our school environment.”
Magic Breakfast partner school, East Riding of Yorkshire
At Magic Breakfast, we continue to strive each day to support schools through providing breakfasts for their pupils, powering opportunity for each and every child. No child or young person should be too hungry to learn. As the year progresses, and the political climate changes following the recent election, it’s vital that our work continues to support those at the forefront of this crisis.
Magic Breakfast has provided the opportunity for learners to be fuelled to engage in their learning, it has become a constant resource of safety for learners who are neglected and in need of extra support to feel safe.”
Magic Breakfast partner school, Wandsworth
Thank you so much to our partner schools that took time to complete our survey. Your feedback is critical to our work.