How Hunger Impacts Learning and Behaviour

 

We’ve just released some stark findings that should concern us all. Our latest research shows that almost one in three teachers see hungry children every single day at the start of the school day. These aren’t just statistics. They’re children sitting in classrooms, unable to concentrate because they’re too hungry to learn.

Our survey of supply teachers working across hundreds of schools reveals a classroom crisis affecting thousands of pupils. Teachers report that in some schools, up to half of children arrive without having eaten breakfast.

The impact is impossible to ignore. Six in ten teachers say hunger significantly affects pupils’ ability to learn in morning lessons, while seven in ten say it affects classroom behaviour. As one teacher explained:

 

“When children are hungry it is all they can think about. They cannot focus on their work and instead just watch the clock waiting for lunch.”

 

Almost half of teachers say they now see more hungry children than when they first started teaching. In the shorter term, almost one in five say the situation has worsened over the past 12 months alone.

Survey Findings: Hunger in the Classroom

 

In areas of high deprivation, the problem is particularly severe. Teachers working in the most disadvantaged communities report that between 30 and 50 per cent of pupils arrive hungry. One teacher in Lincolnshire, working in a community within the top one per cent most deprived areas nationally, described children arriving “having had little or no breakfast, which directly affects their concentration, energy levels and readiness to engage.”

More than a third of schools have no breakfast provision at all. Where breakfast clubs do exist, three in ten teachers say the provision is insufficient to meet demand. The biggest barrier? Cost.

Teachers identified paid breakfast clubs as the primary obstacle, alongside children arriving too late, lack of parental awareness and, in some cases, stigma associated with using breakfast provision.

As one teacher said:

“Some people cannot afford to provide breakfast and each class should have something to offer.”

Teachers Agree: Free Breakfast Could Change Everything

 

The solution is clear. Nine in ten teachers believe providing free breakfast for all pupils would significantly or moderately improve academic performance. An even higher proportion, 96 per cent, believe it would improve behaviour and wellbeing.

 

Nearly nine in ten teachers who have observed pupils before and after eating breakfast reported a positive difference in performance or behaviour. “It is clearly evident that pupils are more settled and ready to learn when they have had breakfast,” one teacher added.

That’s why we’ve launched Before The Bell, our campaign to tackle child hunger in schools. We’re not waiting for someone else to act. Starting in January, we will be providing free breakfasts to pupils at four primary schools for a full week. It’s a start, but these findings show we need systemic change.

 

Our supply teachers work across hundreds of schools every week. They see what is really happening in classrooms. These findings should shock us all into action. We cannot expect children to learn when they are hungry. We cannot expect teachers to teach classes where a third of pupils have not eaten. This is a crisis hiding in plain sight in schools across England.

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Government Action and Why It Matters

 

We fully support the government’s announcement last week about the national rollout of free breakfast clubs to half a million children. Our research demonstrates just how urgent this intervention is, as seen through the eyes of supply teachers working across hundreds of schools.

 

The findings echo government data showing that 10 per cent of UK households are food insecure, with households with children twice as likely to be affected. Significantly, 90 per cent of households with very low food security did not use a food bank in the past month, highlighting significant unmet need.

Every Child Deserves to Start the Day Nourished

 

At Affinity Workforce, we believe in transforming lives and shaping futures. Before The Bell is about more than providing breakfast for a week. It’s about raising awareness, demonstrating what’s possible, and proving that every child deserves to start the day nourished and ready to learn. Our four winning schools will be announced shortly. We’ll be sharing their stories and the impact this provision has on their pupils.

 

Because when children are fed, they can focus. When they can focus, they can learn. And when they can learn, they can thrive. That’s what we’re here for. No child should be too hungry to learn.