Free breakfast clubs will launch at 750 schools across England next week, but teachers have warned government funding will fall short of the cost.
From Tuesday, thousands of parents can access 30 minutes of free morning childcare as part of a trial beginning at the start of the new term and running to July, ahead of an expected national rollout.
Ministers expect the scheme to save parents of primary-aged children £450 per year in childcare costs.
School leaders, however, are warning the pilot may lead to budget shortfalls.
“The initial feedback we are hearing from many school leaders participating in the pilot is that the funding just isn’t sufficient,” said Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, the headteachers’ union.
“At a time when school budgets are already stretched, most can ill-afford to subsidise this shortfall.”
Mr Whiteman added: “It’s absolutely crucial that this is addressed before the scheme is rolled out nationally.
“We have been encouraged to receive assurance from the Department for Education that funding will be looked at carefully when this trial is being assessed.”
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The trial is backed by £7m of government funding and more than £30m is promised for breakfast clubs in 2025-26.
The government has previously insisted there will be enough funding to deliver the programme.
The 750 “early adopter” schools are spread across the country and include mainstream schools and alternative provision schools, which educate children with specific needs.
Academies, free schools and local authority schools are all taking part.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said free breakfast clubs were “at the heart” of the Labour government’s “Plan for Change, making working parents’ lives easier and more affordable, while breaking down barriers to opportunity for every child”.
To see which schools are part of the trial in your area, you can visit the Department for Education’s website here.
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