I recently visited Hetton School to see the National School Breakfast Programme (NSBP) in action. NSBP is delivered by the charities Family Action and Magic Breakfast, with the aim of making sure no child is too hungry to learn. The academic benefits are significant, with schools taking part in the scheme seeing improved concentration, behaviour, punctuality and attendance.

The Department for Education have guaranteed funding for NSBP until the end of the academic year in July 2020. I believe this should be continued – all schools should be funded to offer breakfast so hunger can be removed as a barrier to learning. I’d like to thank Hetton School for allowing me to visit as well as the charities involved for making sure our children can always start the day with the right fuel for learning.