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Breakfast clubs: guidance on food and funding

Understand the rights and expectations around providing a school breakfast club. Get guidance on food, sources of funding and support, and charging for provision.

Updated
on 5 June 2026See updates
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 10049
Contents
  1. You can decide whether to run a breakfast club
  2. It’s up to you whether you serve food 
  3. Look into external sources of funding and support 
  4. Be clear on when you can charge parents/carers
  5. Read case studies from other schools

Please note: this article is only relevant if you're not currently part of the DfE's free breakfast club programme. 

You can decide whether to run a breakfast club

However, parents and carers have the right to request one. 

You don't have to grant requests for school-based wraparound childcare (such as breakfast and after-school club, and holiday childcare), but you:

  • Must act reasonably when dealing with requests
  • Should be transparent about the process you choose to follow when granting or rejecting them

Take the wishes of parents/carers into account when considering offering extended services – try running a breakfast club on a trial basis, to see how popular it is.

Childcare providers can also request to use school facilities to provide wraparound and/or holiday childcare when they're not in use by the school. 

It’s up to you whether you