Innovative Finance
August 1, 2024
Context
The National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) was launched in England to provide free, nutritious breakfasts in schools situated in disadvantaged areas. Initiated in 2018, the Department for Education entrusted the two charities, Family Action and Magic Breakfast, with a £24 million contract to jointly lead the NSBP for an initial two-year period.
Solution
The NSBP introduced breakfast provision models across 1,811 schools, including traditional sit-down breakfast clubs, healthy 'grab and go' options, and classroom breakfasts. It targeted schools where at least half of the pupils hailed from disadvantaged backgrounds and where existing breakfast provisions required improvement or were absent.
Impact
The evaluation of the NSBP scale-up revealed significant achievements in recruitment, with 1,811 schools enrolled and 38.6% of students served breakfast, compared to 6.5% before the intervention. The program's approach of offering a range of breakfast provision models facilitated broader reach, reduced staffing requirements, and proved cost-effective. However, sustaining the program beyond the initial funding period posed challenges due to the tight scale-up timeline and the simultaneous need for expansion and embedding in schools.