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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Not only does it help growing students get essential nutrients, it’s also been to better behaviour and cognitive performance at school.Ìý

Regular, balanced breakfasts help young people develop healthy morning routines, where they can socialise and prepare for the day ahead. It can additionally improve students’ time management, and general regulation because they have a fixed eating time – which, when applied to lunch and dinner as well – can influence good sleeping habits.

Schools in the UK have even launched their own to ensure that students have a decent meal every morning. Following their lead, here’s how you can start your own school breakfast schemes.

Why breakfast is best

There are a whole host of reasons why breakfast benefits young people in particular. Research proves that a well balanced breakfast is connected to:

• Improved nutrient intake

• Lower rates of obesity

• Higher physical activity levels

• Improved concentration and problem-solving abilities

• Improved mood

• Improved school attendance

• Better cognitive function related to memory

• Better test grades

Breakfast can provide an opportunity for young people to get energised for the day ahead. It helps them to build the skill of socialising over a shared meal, and teaches them to appreciate food and the effect it can have on their minds and bodies.

Surprisingly, missing breakfast is common among young people. shows that 17.4% of students sometimes skip breakfast, 18% often skip breakfast, and 9.5% always skip breakfast, which can have an impact on their concentration levels. So, making sure your students have all started the day with breakfast can make morning classes easier for teachers!Ìý

Breakfast clubs benefit parents too – they support working parents who may not have time or resources to prepare breakfast in the morning.Ìý

Key ingredients for a successful breakfast club

School breakfast clubs don’t have to be a big scale event. The idea is to have something that’s easy to set up and put away every day, but can be a communal space for kids to eat and chat (or read or practice mindfulness – whatever charges them for the day).

First, select the right space. The school hall, canteen, a classroom or outdoors space could be ideal. Make sure there are comfortable chairs, and tables for students to eat on. A fridge and food storage space is key as well! If you can, add some upbeat music, motivational posters or info cards with facts about the importance of breakfast.

Next, think about timing. Most school breakfast clubs start 30-45 minutes before registration. Depending where your students are coming from, and your school logistics (opening time, staff availability), you may want to plan a longer breakfast club.

Then, comes the food. Decide whether you want to buy food every day, have food delivered, make food, or work with local businesses to receive food donations. Aim for simple, nutritious, and budget-friendly. It’s worthwhile asking students what they eat at home too, to be inclusive of different cultures and cuisines.Ìý

Last, appoint a small, reliable team to oversee the club. This could include faculty, parents, community volunteers, and even students themselves. Two to four people is normally sufficient per day, with some people setting up the space, and the others serving food. As a rule of thumb, everyone who comes to the breakfast club should help tidy away afterwards. Doing so establishes a fair, equal atmosphere, and expresses gratitude to the volunteers.

Getting started (and tucking in)

1. To get stuck into your new breakfast club, follow this step-by-step process:
2. Gauge interest. Send a short survey to parents and carers, asking how many of them would be interested in using a student breakfast club
3. Secure funding. Speak with your school head about potentially having a portion of the school budget for the club. Alternatively, ask for support from local charities and organisations. In the UK, and offer grants for breakfast initiatives.
4. Plan the essentials. Book the space, communicate with stakeholders, organise food, and schedule volunteers. Get all logistics into place and share an overview document with everyone involved, so they know the expected routine.
5. Run a pilot. Test your plan with a small group of students over a couple of weeks. Take note of what does and doesn’t work, and experiment with small changes to see what makes the club more effective and easier to conduct.
6. Have clear lines of communication. Share all breakfast club information with students’ families and send regular emails (monthly is fine) updating them on the club. Encourage them to come one morning, and be open to their feedback.

Feeding minds and stomachs

Breakfast clubs are a low-cost, high-impact way to fuel students’ health, learning, and community dynamic.Ìý

While these clubs do require some extra work, they are an investment in your school culture and student success. And, once your club is up and running, it may become self-sustaining, with students taking charge of operations.

So, set your alarm, lay out the cereal bowls, and enjoy new connections over the most important meal of the day – at school!

Further reading

Discover more strategies to support students and their families during, and after, school hours. Read Five tips for a successful parents’ evening, How to support parents while your students are learning at home, and The parent-teacher relationship: How to build a connection.

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