Breakfast and after school food provision
Food consumed at breakfast and after school clubs can contribute towards pupils overall nutrition and health status. There are also many benefits to providing food before school to help address hunger, improve attendance, attainment, behaviour and cognition.
Click here to download a PowerPoint presentation from Dr Katie Adolphus from the University of Leeds, who shares her findings on the evidence for promoting breakfast consumption.
Food served before and after school must also meet the School Food Standards.
How we can support your school?
Click here to download our NEW Simple School Breakfast Guide, created in partnership with University of Sheffield.
We can provide in-school and remote consultancy and advice with developing menus and checking for compliance with the School Food Standards. We can also support with your plans to set up new clubs and provide information on how to ensure your promoting healthy eating messages.
We have a range of sample menus for both before and after school clubs that meet the School Food Standards that you can download here.
We also deliver training each year for breakfast and after school club leaders and staff members. You can find out more and book you place at www.leedsforlearning.co.uk. Training can also be delivered as a bespoke course or in your local area on request.
Please contact schoolwellbeing@leeds.gov.uk to speak about support for breakfast and after school clubs.
Key research papers for breakfast
The 2024 Leeds Breakfast in Schools Survey - Findings report
In partnership with University of Sheffild, data was collected from schools using an online survey hosted on the Leeds City Council (LCC) Smart Survey online platform. The survey was advertised to all schools in Leeds via email, phone call, and LCCcommunications. The survey was open for completion between May–September 2024. The aims of the survey included:
- Evaluate the healthfulness of the food being offered at school breakfasts and identify improvements that could
be made - Understand schools’ motivations for providing breakfasts and the challenges that schools face when providing or
looking to provide breakfasts - Inform the creation of resources to provide support to schools to increase uptake and quality of their breakfasts
- Identify schools not currently making use of financial support, and support them to make use of it, or
understand their reasoning for not wishing to
The effects of breakfast on behaviour and academic performance in children and adolesents
Associations Between Habitual School-Day Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents, Katie Adolphus, Clare L. Lawton and Louise Dye
Links and further reading