BELFAST PRIMARY BOASTS BEST BREAKFAST CLUB IN THE UK

A primary school in Belfast has won £2000 for their breakfast club for their outstanding commitment to ensuring every child is ready for the school day.

St Kevin’s primary school were deemed ‘Best Breakfast Club in the UK’ at this year’s Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards for their persistence to provide a warm, safe and happy environment for their pupils.

Oversubscribed with 579 children, the school works tirelessly every day to ensure all those who have empty bellies are fed and ready for the school day.

The club opens up before school, allowing parents to get to work on time and gives children the time to eat a healthy, nutritious breakfast and enjoy their food before class.

St Kevin’s breakfast club also shows how useful the pre-school clubs are for parents in the area. Many whom without the breakfast club would have to start work late or perhaps be unable to work at all.

The children are encouraged to socialise with friends, teachers and breakfast club staff, as well as playing games, sports or finishing their homework.

School vice Principal John McComb said: “We are absolutely delighted to win the overall award for the best breakfast club. Our children, parents and staff are all more than aware of the huge benefits of the club.

“The healthy and nutritious start is something that kick-starts a day packed with learning and provides our boys and girls with the chance to chat with their friends before entering the classroom environment and routine.

“Our success is testimony to our members of staff and to our parent volunteers, without whom the club wouldn’t be such a success and such a popular start to the children’s day at school.”

Lindsay Graham, School Food and Health Advisor, and Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards judge, said:

“We know from the latest research that breakfast clubs like St Kevin’s Primary can not only help give children a much needed good start to the day it also helps with the three ‘As’ attendance , achievement and attainment.

“It was inspiring to read the 2016 breakfast club award entries and see how children are being engaged and supported in learning beyond the school day.”

The £2,000 prize money plans to be spent on a fresh set of toys, games and books to help the children grow further. As well as tablets and programmes to help reduce stress and anxiety in youngsters, furthermore the opportunity to create areas at the club dedicated to STEM, science and English.

Kellogg’s, whose breakfast club programme started 18 years ago, supports 3,000 breakfast clubs across the UK with training, cereal donations and funding so that schools can run a sustainable pre-school club.

Sharon Hodgson, Shadow Minister for Public Health and Chair of School Food APPG said:

“Congratulations to all the winning schools at this year’s Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards. It helps highlight the fantastic work by schools, charities and individuals from right across the country to ensure children can start the day focussed and ready to learn.”

The Judges of the Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards were:

Lucy Powell MP-Member of Parliament for Central Manchester

Lindsay Boswell- Chief Executive of FareShare UK

Barbara Green MBE- Principal at Beechlawn School (last year’s winner of Best Breakfast Club in the UK)

Lindsay Graham- A UK leading expert for School Food and Health Promotion

John Coe- Information Officer for the National

Association for Primary Education

Greta Defeyter- Professor at Northumbria University