The Guardian – Yvonne Roberts
“Every weekday, a free breakfast club runs for an hour from 8am at the Forest Academy primary school in Kendray on the outskirts of Barnsley. On a Wednesday morning, a few days before the beginning of Sats exams, 140 children – almost two-thirds of the school – ate a breakfast of fruit, juice, cereal and bagels. The offer is open to all, so there is no stigma. On Fridays there is a “Friday Feast”, something cooked – baked beans, spaghetti hoops or porridge – a celebration of the week’s efforts by pupils, 60% of whom are on free school meals. While the controversy over Sats occupies the headlines, at the Forest Academy, in an area like many in the country blighted by low wages, high unemployment and inadequate incomes, there is another major concern: if a child is hungry, it’s harder for them to learn.”(more)