- An extra eight primary schools in Plymouth will offer free breakfast clubs from September, as next phase of government roll-out is announced.
- They join free breakfast clubs already open in nine Plymouth schools – saving families up to £450 a year.
- Legal limits on branded uniform will be in force from September – and schools told to go even further to cut costs on expensive items.
- Heading to school after the summer holidays now almost £1,000 cheaper for many families – between expanded free school meals, cheaper uniform and free breakfasts
Families across Plymouth will see the cost of going to school slashed even further from September, as the Labour government confirms caps on branded uniforms and more free breakfast clubs.
When pupils return in September, eight Plymouth schools will join the roll-out of free breakfast clubs in England. This will bring the total number of primary schools in Plymouth offering free breakfast clubs to 17.
Joining the scheme is September are Salisbury Road Primary School, Mount Wise Community Primary School, Lipson Vale Primary School, The Cathedral School of St Mary, Drake Primary Academy, Morice Town Primary Academy, Mount Tamar School, and Whitleigh Community Primary School.
The Labour government has smashed its target of adding 2,000 schools to the programme this year. Free breakfast clubs have already served up over 10 million free breakfasts and five million hours of childcare unlocked. For a family using their club every day that’s worth up to £450 and 95 hours a year, or nearly two working weeks back on the morning juggle.
From September, schools in Plymouth must comply with the new legal limits on the number of branded uniform items they can require. It means parents can buy more of the everyday basics, like trousers and shirts, from any shop or supermarket rather than one pricey supplier. It comes after polling found a third of parents still worry about uniform costs.
The Labour government is also publishing strengthened statutory guidance telling schools to take more steps to bring down the cost of individual items, especially for more expensive items like blazers and jumpers, in time for the 2027 school year.
The Conservatives and Reform UK deemed the cost-saving measure ‘interference’ – though Fred Thomas MP and Luke Pollard MP say they are proud to support the measures that will save local families money.
Taken together, heading back to school under Labour is now set to be almost £1,000 cheaper for many families. A child could benefit from up to £450 a year through a free breakfast club and up to £500 a year through the expansion of free school meals to every household on Universal Credit – on top of cheaper uniform as the new branded-item limit bites.
Luke Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said:
“I’ve been working hard with the Labour government to get free breakfast
clubs into our schools and I’m really pleased to be delivering.
“This expansion secures savings for local families when they need it most and will mean
every child, no matter their background, can feel the benefits of a nutritious breakfast
before school.
“Alongside welcome action on the cost of school uniform, the Labour government is cutting the cost of
getting children into school so they can get the brilliant education they deserve.”
Fred Thomas, MP for Plymouth Moor View, said:
” I know just how fast the costs of a new school term can build up, so this is going to be a massive help for families here in Plymouth. I’m out in our local schools all the time, and the conversations I have with parents often come back to the same things: the expense of uniforms for fast-growing kids, the cost of wraparound care, and how much less stressful mornings are when you know the kids will get a proper breakfast at school while you’re trying to get to work.
“Getting more schools into the free breakfast club scheme, alongside putting a limit on uniform costs, is going to take a huge weight off parents’ shoulders right when they need it most.”