Our work in Scotland
Since 2018 Magic Breakfast has been providing school breakfasts to young Scots.
Our work in Scotland builds on decades of experience across the UK, and sees us make a difference to over 50,000 children and young people every day. 7% of young Scots are able to access a breakfast at school provided by Magic Breakfast.
But for the 1 in 7 children and young people currently living with food insecurity we need to go further. From the Baby Box, through free school meals, to free further and higher education, Scotland has a proud history of supporting the lives of young Scots. Free school breakfasts for all should be part of that support.
Across Scotland, we’re also campaigning to create a future where every child is nourished, empowered, and able to thrive. We’ve already seen a commitment from the Scottish Government to provide school breakfast in every primary school and special school from August 2027.
Teacher, Magic Breakfast partner school, West Scotland
Having breakfast in the morning is critical for all young people to be able to settle and prepare themselves for the lesson and day ahead. For them to be able to think, stay focused, contribute, problem solve, find solutions, work with others, can only take place when they feel nurtured and safe, and breakfast is the platform that empowers this.
Having daily access to breakfast across a variety of points in the school gives our young people the best start to the day, as they do not have the worry and anxiety of thinking when they are going to next eat.
As a result, they are in a better physical state to start to learn, they know they are cared for, and they recognise the importance and impact of having food first thing in the morning.
It is imperative to every child’s wellbeing that every child starts the day with breakfast.
Use our data map to explore where in Scotland we currently work:
Our impact in Scotland
Since 2018, we have been providing support and breakfasts to young Scots. Find out more about our reach, impact and advocacy work in Scotland below.
50k
50,000 children and young people experience the positive difference Magic Breakfast makes every day
7%
of young Scots are able to access a breakfast at school with Magic Breakfast
96%
of partner schools agree that Magic Breakfast reduces inequalities between pupils
88%
of partner schools agree that Magic Breakfast reduces pressure on families’ budgets
Pupil, Magic Breakfast partner school, Edinburgh and Lothians East
When I come to breakfast club, I feel much better for the rest of the day. If I skip breakfast, I feel tired, can’t focus properly in class, and I get really hungry before lunchtime which makes it hard to concentrate on my work.
Parent, Magic Breakfast partner school, West Scotland
Breakfast club is great for my child and the fact that it’s a free service really helps when times are tough. I know my child can start off the day fed and I don’t need to worry.
Every year in in our Annual Breakfast Survey, we ask schools how breakfast impacts their students and families. We then calculate the percentage of Scottish schools that agree breakfast has a positive impact on the following outcomes:
Our Breakfast Can’t Wait campaign
Every child in Scotland should be hungry to learn, not hungry for food.
But for thousands, breakfast is not guaranteed. That’s a problem we can fix, and a promise that Scotland has already made.
What’s the latest?
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NewsMagic Breakfast welcomes the Seventh Session of the Scottish Parliament
With millions of votes cast, Scots have made their choice… Read more
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NewsA new plan for child poverty in Scotland: Magic Breakfast’s reaction
Scotland’s legally binding poverty targets set a date for relative… Read more
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NewsA budget for breakfasts
Last week Magic Breakfast called on the Scottish Government to ‘set… Read more
Policy documents
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The root causes of child morning hunger
Across Scotland, child morning hunger remains a persistent and often invisible barrier to educational equity and social mobility. But morning hunger is not inevitable, it is the result of deep-rooted systemic barriers.
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The importance of secondary school breakfast provision
Secondary school is vital to the long-term life chances of children and young people. Moving through broad general education to the exam years, the outcomes from the four or six years a young person spends in secondary education will set them up for life.
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Supporting Scotland’s special schools through breakfast provision
For pupils in special schools, breakfast provision is about more than just food. It creates a calm, consistent and nurturing start to the day that supports wellbeing, regulation and readiness to learn.
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Breakfast in Scotland’s primary schools
Scotland has made a strong commitment to deliver universal breakfast provision in all primary and special schools by August 2027. This Parliament will be responsible for ensuring that this commitment translates into real, lived change for children and families across the country.
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