Labour has said delivering free breakfast clubs in all primary schools could cut almost half a million days of school absence.
It has promised to reduce absence, convert empty classrooms into nurseries and save primary school parents hundreds of pounds a year.
The party has previously pledged to roll out fully funded breakfast clubs to all primary schools in England.
Now it said delivering breakfast clubs across all primary schools could cut 450,555 days of school absence.
This is based on an evaluation of the Magic Breakfast programme, which found that breakfast clubs were linked to “about 26 fewer half-days of absence per year for a class of 30”.
Breakfast clubs could cut parent costs
Labour said its analysis has applied primary school pupil numbers and anticipated uptake of breakfast clubs to arrive at its figure.
Attendance has become one of the most pressing policy issues in education following increases in absence following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Labour also estimates for parents who already pay for alternative before-school childcare, such as childminders, that providing funded breakfast clubs could cut the cost by up to £50 a week, delivering savings of almost £2,000 across a school year.
Shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the breakfast clubs plan is the first step towards delivering a transformation in childcare that supports families from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school.
Labour has said the rollout of breakfast clubs across all primary schools in England expands “significantly” on Conservatives’ plans, which it claims reach just one in every seven primary schools.
Labour has also set out an aim to convert empty or under-used classrooms in England’s primary schools into nurseries.
The spare capacity in schools has been caused by declining birth rates and, under the plan, some 3,334 classrooms would be converted at an average cost of £40,000.
The nurseries could be run by the schools or local private or voluntary-sector providers.
Funding for the scheme would come from imposing VAT on private schools.
Labour said it would target its new school nursery places in areas of highest need, where parents struggle to find childcare.
Responding to the announcement, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said there was “certainly a clear logic” in using free space in primary schools to expand nursery provision.
“It is positive to see that Labour has made clear that schools that wish to do this will be able to access the necessary funding,” he said.
He added that having the right space is “one part of the picture”, but “it will be equally important that there is a strong focus on attracting more people into the early years workforce”.
Conservative Treasury minister Laura Trott said Labour’s breakfast clubs plan was ”part of Labour’s £38.5 billion black hole requiring £2,094 of tax rises on every working family”.
Labour has denied it will implement £2,000 of additional taxes if elected.
Private school VAT could lead to larger class sizes
Ms Trott also referred to comments made earlier today by Labour’s shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry suggesting state school classes could grow as a result of Labour adding VAT to private school fees.
Asked about more pupils coming into the state sector as a result of Labour’s plans, Ms Thornberry said: ”Certainly, some schools that have vacancies - my primary schools and my secondary schools have space and they’re very welcome.
“They are good schools and people should send their children there. I mean, it’s fine, and if we have to, in the short term, have larger classes, we have larger classes.”
She continued: “All we need to do is we need to raise the money in order to make sure that children who go into state schools have had breakfast.”
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the policy will generate roughly £1.5 billion a year, which Labour plans to invest in state education, including in recruiting more teachers.
However, on Monday, the shadow education secretary said it “wasn’t right” for Ms Thornberry to suggest that Labour’s plan to add VAT to private school fees would lead to larger class sizes in the state sector.
Ms Phillipson told Times Radio: “I am afraid that just wasn’t right. Actually, what we are seeing across the state sector is a falling number of pupils in our classrooms because of the falling birth rate, and there are fewer young people arriving at school.
“So, actually, we are going to be in the position pretty soon - and it is already the case in places like London - where schools are merging and closing because of falling numbers.”
