More than a fifth of parents (22%) admit they send their child to a breakfast club at school – as almost one in ten (8%) can't afford to buy what their kids want to eat at home.
A poll of 1,228 parents found that 18% sometimes send their children to school without giving them breakfast at home – as 19% of those are in a rush to get out the door.
One in six (16%) say they don't have time to make breakfast in the morning, with 51% putting this down to needing to get to work earlier.
But a whopping 85% of parents say their children like going to a breakfast club – as the food is better than what they can provide at home (17%), and it is warmer at school than it is at home (15%).
Nearly one in ten parents in low-income households (8%) admit they simply run out of food at home by the end of the week – with 55% saying their youngsters now use breakfast clubs more frequently than they did a year ago.
And this is backed up by teachers, with almost three-quarters (72%) having noticed a rising number of children attending breakfast clubs at school.
A separate survey, of 750 teachers, found that 37% claim to see children in their class on a daily basis who have come to school without breakfast – with 63% saying this number has increased from a year ago.
And three in ten teachers (29%) even say they have given away their own food to one of their pupils.
A spokesman for Kellogg’s, which commissioned the research to mark 25 years of supporting breakfast clubs, said: “The cost-of-living crisis is really beginning to bite for many, and is having a real impact on the food children are eating before school.
“Being hungry can affect how focused they are in class, how much they concentrate, and reduce their mood and ability to learn.
“For many, breakfast clubs are the best way of making sure children get the food they need to keep them going throughout the morning, and we want to recognise the difference they can make for children.”
The study also found that a fifth of the parents polled (19%) turn to breakfast clubs to save money on childcare in the morning.
As a result, 58% of parents are worried their child’s school will have to stop the service, because of funding challenges (53%), staff shortages (29%), or increased costs (48%).
And 68% of those who currently use a breakfast club said it would have a negative effect on them if it were to close – with 16% claiming they would be forced to turn down work, while 8% would have to stop working altogether.
The Kellogg's spokesman added: “Breakfast clubs have really been there for thousands of children in the 25 years we have been supporting them, and this year we’re extending that support, to reach 20,000 more children.
“We provide funding for equipment, staff, and food – making sure the youngsters who need it most can start the day with a full tummy to learn.”
Schools can apply here for a cash grant from Kellogg’s, to support with the cost of running their breakfast club.
