HUNTLEY Primary School and Bream Primary School are set to become two of the first 750 schools in England to offer Labour's new free breakfast club initiative.

Starting in April, these schools will provide a free breakfast and at least 30 minutes of free childcare every school day, helping to put up to £450 back in local parents' pockets each year.

The scheme is part of the government's wider Plan for Change, aiming to benefit 67,000 pupils in England's most disadvantaged communities during its first phase.

The Forest of Dean is one of the first areas to take part in this important programme, which will help reduce the financial pressures on working families while ensuring children have the resources they need to succeed academically.

Matt Bishop, MP for the Forest of Dean, said: "I’m thrilled that Huntley and Bream CE Primary Schools have been selected as two of the first schools to benefit from Labour’s free breakfast clubs, part of our broader commitment to supporting working families and improving educational outcomes for children."

Attendance at breakfast clubs has been linked to improvements in behaviour, attendance, and academic performance, with pupils experiencing an average learning boost equivalent to two months of progress in reading, writing, and maths.

As part of Labour's commitment to tackling child poverty, the breakfast club programme is a step toward removing barriers for disadvantaged children.

In addition to the breakfast clubs, the Labour government is introducing a series of measures designed to ease the financial burdens on working families, such as a cap on branded school uniforms and support for government-funded childcare.

The early adopter phase at Huntley and Bream CE Primary Schools will help shape the national roll-out of the programme, which aims to make the scheme available to all schools.