Expansion of Breakfast Clubs to all Primary School aged children information: FOI release

Information requested

Information in relation to the Scottish Government’s announcement on 14 January 2026 pertaining to the proposed expansion of breakfast clubs:

1. Please can you provide a breakdown of how the figure of £44 million has been arrived at? How has this been costed? What fee has been assumed for each child to attend the service? What will be the staffing structure be and what salaries have been allocated to the staff within the structure? How much has been costed for food? How much has been costed for practical resources eg toaster/fridge? How much has been costed for play items and resources for the children during their time at the breakfast club?

2. There are 380,000 primary school aged pupils in Scotland, so has this £44 million funding assumed that every child will take up this free funded breakfast club space on every school day or is it assuming that only a proportion of children will take up this free space? If so what proportion of children does this costing assume will take up this free space?

3. Please can you provide in detail the business plan for how this free breakfast club provision will be delivered, to ensure the safety and wellbeing of every child.

4. Will every primary school in Scotland be instructed to provide a breakfast club?

5. How will the breakfast clubs be managed

6. Who will the breakfast club service be accountable to eg Care Inspectorate? HMie?

7. Where a school has an existing breakfast club service delivered by a private provider will this provider have their let of the venue terminated or will they be required to provide the service for a fee set by the Scottish government in their costing?

Response

The answer to your questions are set out below. For ease of reference, I have set out answers using the numbering in your request:

1. The Scottish Government undertook cost modelling to inform the £44 million budget allocation for the national roll out of breakfast clubs. The modelling was informed by a range of sources and includes assumptions based on the evidence available at that time. Stakeholder engagement is underway to further inform costs and delivery models.

The cost modelling drew on a range of national and local evidence sources, including:

• Inspiring Scotland Bright Start Breakfast Fund: National level evidence from breakfast club providers.
• Improvement Service – National level evidence from local authorities and schools.
• Magic Breakfast – National partner provider.
• Greggs – National partner provider.
• Family Resource Survey – National level evidence.
• Department for Education – National level evidence.
• Welsh Government – National level evidence.
• School Age Childcare early delivery projects:
  • Scottish Football Association: Extra Time Programme – local partner provider.
  • Access to Childcare Fund – local partner provider.
• Scottish Government: School summary statistics annual publication (2024).
• School pupil number projections: WPI economics model used across Scottish Government.
• Office for Budget Responsibility: CPI inflation forecasts (November 2025).

The modelling assumes costs of providing up to one hour of supervision for children across all primary and special schools (2085 schools). It assumes that 30% of children in those schools will take up the offer in 2026-27 and 2027-28.

No fixed fee per child has been set.

The cost per child is derived from the combined food and staffing assumptions. Staffing structures will ultimately be determined locally in line with relevant legislation and operational requirements.

Costs associated with equipment (such as fridges and toasters), play resources, venue and transport were not included in the initial modelling.

This work reflects early assumptions and stakeholder engagement is ongoing to further inform costs and delivery models. Some costs have been updated following engagement.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 29(1)(a) (formulation or development of government policy) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why this exemption applies are explained below.

2. The cost estimate does not assume that all eligible children will take up the offer. As outlined in the response to question 1, the modelling assumes that approximately 30% of children will participate in breakfast club provision, based on available evidence from existing programmes and delivery partners.

3. Detailed arrangements for the delivery of the national breakfast club offer, including the full business case, remain under development as part of ongoing policy development. Impact assessments and further information on delivery are expected to be published later this year.

The development of the universal breakfast offer is being taken forward as part of the Scottish Government’s wider School Age Childcare Programme and aligns with existing Programme for Government and budget commitments. The work is informed by a number of established policy drivers, including the ambition to:

• support parents and carers to enter and sustain employment;
• improving outcomes for children, including wellbeing, attendance and attainment;
• reduce the cost-of-living pressures on families; and
• contribute to wider efforts to tackle child poverty.

The proposal builds on existing breakfast provision and wider school age childcare services across Scotland and reflects evidence from early delivery activity which indicates positive benefits for children and families.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 29(1)(a) (formulation or development of government policy) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why this exemption applies are explained below.

4. The Scottish Government has committed to expanding access to breakfast clubs, with the aim of ensuring that all primary school age children are able to access breakfast provision as part of a national offer by August 2027. Funding has been allocated to support the phased expansion of provision, including investment to increase delivery ahead of the full national rollout.

However, the detailed approach to how this will be implemented, including the extent to which provision will be required in schools, is still under development as part of ongoing engagement with local authorities and delivery partners.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 29(1)(a) (formulation or development of government policy) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why this exemption applies are explained below.

5. Management arrangements for breakfasts clubs, including costs and delivery models are currently being developed through ongoing engagement with stakeholders and delivery partners.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 29(1)(a) (formulation or development of government policy) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why this exemption applies are explained below.

6. Accountability arrangements will depend on how the breakfast clubs are delivered, which may vary according to local needs and circumstances. However, where provision is delivered on school premises, it will be required to comply with relevant school food and drink regulations, with compliance overseen by HM Inspectorate of Education. Provision delivered by registered childcare providers whether on or off school premises, is inspected by the Care Inspectorate, in line with relevant legislation.

7. Stakeholder engagement is underway to inform costs and delivery models. We are aware that across Local Authorities, a mixed model is used to provide current breakfast provision, tailored to meet local needs, which includes provision by registered childcare services, third sector organisations and by local authority facilities management and education staff. Going forward, we would anticipate that would continue.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide some of the information you have requested because an exemption under section 29(1)(a) (formulation or development of government policy) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why this exemption applies are explained below.

Section 29(1)(a)

An exemption under section 29(1)(a) of FOISA (formulation or development of government policy) applies to some of the information requested because it relates to the development of the Scottish Government’s policy relating to the expansion of breakfast clubs.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption.

We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open, transparent and accountable government, and to inform public debate. However, there is a greater public interest in high quality policy and decision-making, and in the properly considered implementation and development of policies and decisions. This means that Ministers and officials need to be able to consider all available options and to debate those rigorously, to fully understand their possible implications.

Their candour in doing so will be affected by their assessment of whether the discussions on development, options and sensitivities surrounding any potential changes to the Scottish Government’s policy on the expansion of breakfast clubs will be disclosed in the near future, when it may undermine or constrain the Government’s view on that policy while it is still under discussion and development.

However, we have also taken account of the fact that some of the information you have requested has already been shared with some stakeholders as part of ongoing engagement on the development of the national breakfast club offer. On that basis, we are able to share limited information at this stage. This information reflects material already shared to support discussions and should be understood as indicative, as policy development remains ongoing and figures and assumptions may change. No final decisions have yet been taken.

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