Up to £26 million is to be pumped into supporting breakfast clubs across England, the government has announced.

More than 1,770 state schools will benefit from the cash, according to the Department for Education, with money targeted at the most disadvantaged areas of the country.

It is understood it will be left up to schools to decide how to run their breakfast scheme - for example, whether the funding they receive will cover just disadvantaged pupils, or all students taking part.

Two charities - Family Action and Magic Breakfast - will be responsible for running the clubs, the DfE said, and the funding, which comes from the new levy on soft drinks, will cover both new and existing school breakfast clubs.

Education secretary Damian Hinds said: “A healthy breakfast can help fuel children’s concentration so they can get the most out of their school day.

“Children only get one chance at an education and they deserve the best, whatever their background. That is why we are giving more pupils in some of the country’s most disadvantaged areas the chance to go to a breakfast club.

“Paid for by the government’s soft drinks levy, this investment will help raise education standards further and will make sure young people have happy, healthy childhoods.”

The clubs are due to start this spring.