Worthing school offers free breakfast for pupils in bid to boost academic performance

A primary school in Worthing has started offering free breakfast to pupils every morning in a bid to improve concentration and academic performance.
Handing out free breakfast at the schoolHanding out free breakfast at the school
Handing out free breakfast at the school

Pupils arriving at The Laurels in Winterbourne Way can choose either a bagel, Quaker porridge or cereal to start their day.

The schemes comes after the school made a successful bid to be part of The National School Breakfast Programme, in partnership with the Magic Breakfast and funded by the Department for Education using the soft drinks sugar tax.

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A spokesman for the school said: “Research has shown a direct link between the breakfast habits of children and their educational attainment, with children in primary schools where breakfast is provided achieving on average up to two months’ additional academic progress over the course of a year.

“From our own experience, we know that children who go hungry are more inclined to become distracted from learning at school, or give up more easily when faced with challenges.”

The spokesman said children were excited to have breakfast together and said it was a ‘fantastic way’ for the school community to start the day.

Headteacher Charlotte Bull said: “We are delighted to deliver this programme to all the children at The Laurels.

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“We want to give all our pupils the best possible start to the day and ensure everyone has the energy and focus to learn and achieve well at school.”