North Area Committee - Springburn Academy Free Breakfast
Service Proposal
1. Introduction
1.1 The purpose of this paper is to update committee members on agreement reached
to support the development of a free breakfast service at Springburn Academy
2. Proposal
2.1 The proposal is outlined in the North Area Budget application form attached as
Appendix 1 recently presented and agreed at the North Area Committee. As
indicated in the paper, Springburn Academy currently runs a sports club before
school and has secured funding from the Healthy Living Initiative to provide a
free breakfast to those who attend. It is proposed to extend the free breakfast
service to all pupils attending Springburn Academy. The service will run from
approximately 8.15am – 8.45am and will offer pulls a range of cereals, toast a
fruit juice. The project will initially run from January 2007 until June 2007.
3. Health Improvement Benefits and Evaluation
3.1 Nutritionists stress the importance of starting the day with a healthy breakfast.
This ensures sufficient supplies of energy and helps avoid snacking on unhealthy,
high fat foods in the course of the day. It is also vital to maintaining
concentration and in this respect could help to improve attainment. Some studies
elsewhere have suggested that breakfast clubs can also improve attendance (and
this too will contribute to improved attainment). However the results of the most
recent Health and Well-Being Survey of the Greater Glasgow population ( 2005)
indicate that only 68% of people living in the worst 15% datazones eat breakfast
every day and 14% report never eating breakfast.
3.2 With the high levels of deprivation and large numbers of vulnerable children in
North Glasgow (e.g. 10% of children in our area are social work clients), a school
breakfast club has the added benefit of making a potential contribution to ‘wrap
around’ care.
3.3 In evaluating the 6-month pilot the following should therefore be taken into
account;
3.3.1
Numbers attending the breakfast club on a regular basis ( chart numbers
over time to determine whether numbers decrease after initial novelty
wears off or increase as more children are attracted to the service.)
3.3.2
Of those who attend the breakfast club, how many are known to the school
to be ‘vulnerable’ and therefore likely to benefit from the ‘care’ provided
by the service .
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3.3.3
Of those who attend how many are those with a poor attendance record –
i.e. are we reaching those who will benefit most, or only those who would
normally attend school anyway?
3.3.4
Any effect on overall school attendance levels.
3.3.5
Any positive or negative effect on participation rates in the sports club?
(i.e. are more children attracted into the sports club because they are
coming to school for breakfast – or now that children can get breakfast
whether or not they attend the sports club, do less choose to engage?)
4. Financial Implications
4.1 The CHCP have received notification of an additional £26,000 from NHS GG &
C to support the development of the Public Partnership Forum. The application of
this additional resource in 2007/08 will be informed by the development planning
process currently underway. However, in the mean time £7000 will be applied on
a non-recurring basis to support the free breakfast service pilot. There is no
commitment to support the initiative after the initial 6-month pilot period.
5. Recommendations
Committee is asked to:
a) note the CHCP financial contribution to the free breakfast project at Springburn
Academy
b) instruct the Head of Planning and Improvement to present the outcomes of the
project evaluation to Committee in due course.
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