Monmouthshire school breakfast club attendance drops after charge

Ministers were worried children missing breakfast were less able to concentrate in class

The number of children attending primary school breakfast clubs in Monmouthshire has fallen by a fifth since a £1 daily charge was introduced.

The Conservative-led county council said the food remained free, but the half-hour childcare session was not.

Cabinet member Richard John said "difficult decisions" had to be taken.

But Labour opposition leader Dimitri Batrouni said the charge would put off parents who were "struggling to make ends meet" from using the service.

The Welsh Government said "on no account" could a school apply any costs to children and their families for "any element" of the free breakfast.

But a spokesman added: "Schools may charge for wrap-around childcare, as long as they make clear to parents the charge is for the childcare and not any aspect of the free school breakfast session.

"The local authority has confirmed the charge is in relation to the discretionary child supervision offered prior to breakfast club commencing."

The Welsh Government launched a policy of free breakfasts in 2004, to "help improve the health and concentration of children" and thus boost their ability to learn.

Local authorities are required to provide free breakfast to pupils if primary schools ask for it.

Councillors heard that from September 2017 to March 2018, free breakfasts were taken up by 1,480 pupils across Monmouthshire.

But this fell to 1,176 for the same period in 2018-19 after the charge was introduced - a reduction of 304, just over 20%, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Gilwern Primary School was the only one out of 27 which saw an increase in numbers attending breakfast club.

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Mr Batrouni said Labour had opposed the policy for placing "an extra burden on families in Monmouthshire that is unnecessary".

But Mr John, cabinet member for children and young people, said the council had to make some "difficult decisions" to protect frontline services, and "always expected a reduction in attendance" when the charge was introduced.

"We are protecting the vulnerable by ensuring that any child eligible for free school meals is able to attend breakfast club for free," he said.

"We have evidence that children from more deprived backgrounds are continuing to attend."

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "Schools may charge for wrap-around childcare, as long as they make clear to parents the charge is for the childcare and not any aspect of the free school breakfast session.

"The local authority has confirmed the charge is in relation to the discretionary child supervision offered prior to breakfast club commencing."