Hundreds of primary school pupils across the UK are set to receive free breakfasts to help tackle child hunger in classrooms thanks to a campaign launched by one of the country’s largest education workforce providers. 

Four schools in some of England’s most deprived areas have been selected to receive a week of free breakfast provision from Affinity Workforce as part of its Before the Bell campaign, which aims to ensure no child is too hungry to learn. 

From 19 January, more than 1,000 pupils at schools in London, Birmingham, Wirral and Barnsley will receive fruit, a croissant and a drink each morning before lessons begin. 

The campaign was launched after research from Affinity Workforce revealed that almost one in three teachers see hungry children at the start of the school day every single day, with many pupils unable to concentrate in morning lessons because they have not eaten. 

Esme Bianchi-Barry, CEO of Affinity Workforce, said:

“Our research showed that child hunger is a crisis hiding in plain sight in classrooms across England. Teachers told us that 59 per cent of pupils are too hungry to concentrate in morning lessons, and 70 per cent said hunger affects classroom behaviour. 

“We launched Before the Bell because we could not wait for someone else to act. From 19 January, we will provide free breakfasts to over 1,000 pupils at four schools for a full week. These schools serve some of the most deprived communities in the country, where families are struggling with the cost of living and children are arriving at school hungry. 

“But one week is not enough. The government’s recent commitment to expanding free school meals and breakfast clubs shows they recognise the scale of this crisis. We need sustained intervention across the country to make sure no child is too hungry to learn.” 

The four schools selected are Laithes Primary School in Barnsley, Riverside Primary School in Wirral, Christ Church C of E Nursery and Primary School in Birmingham, and Julian’s Primary School in London. 

Georgina Fletcher, Headteacher at Laithes Primary School, said: “We’re delighted our pupils are receiving a free breakfast for the week. We know that some children arrive at school without having eaten breakfast, which affects their concentration, mood and ability to learn. Despite the care and support our families provide, the rising cost of living continues to make mornings difficult for many. 

“A partnership with Before the Bell has helped us remove barriers to learning by ensuring every child starts the day with a healthy meal. It promotes equality, improves readiness to learn, and complements our wider work on wellbeing, attendance and inclusion.” 

Affinity Workforce’s research, conducted among supply teachers working across England, found that more than a third of schools have no breakfast provision at all, with cost identified as the biggest barrier preventing children from accessing breakfast. Supply teachers, who work across multiple schools, have a unique perspective on the scale of the problem because they witness conditions in different communities and can see patterns that permanent staff in a single school might not. 

Almost half of teachers said they now see more hungry children than when they first started teaching, with one in five saying the situation has worsened over the past 12 months. 

 

Nine in ten teachers believe providing free breakfast for all pupils would significantly or moderately improve academic performance. 

Following the launch of Before the Bell, the government announced that it will extend free school meals to all children in households on Universal Credit from September 2026, benefiting over 500,000 children, and fund breakfast clubs in schools across England. 

Affinity Workforce provides temporary staff to schools, multi-academy trusts, colleges and training providers across the UK through its brands Affinity Partnerships, Career Teachers, CER Education, Monarch Education and The Protocol Group.