Agenda Item No. A
South Ayrshire Council
Report by Executive Director, Care Learning and Wellbeing
to Leadership Panel
of 18 March 2014
Subject:
1.
Pilot Breakfast Club Provision in primary schools
Purpose
To seek approval to extend the current pilot of breakfast clubs in targeted primary schools.
2.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the Panel:
3.
2.1
Approve the extension of the current pilot arrangements in Dalmilling Primary School to
the end of the current school session and extend the pilot to include those primary
schools with children living in areas of highest deprivation as defined by the Scottish
Index of Multiple Deprivation and other relevant indicators including free meal
entitlement.
2.2
Agrees to support the pilot from the £0.500m funding set aside to mitigate the effects of
welfare reform and request an evaluation of the pilot schools and a proposal for the next
school session for the Leadership Panel of 17 June 2014.
Background
3.1
At present approximately 15 schools across South Ayrshire offer breakfast before the
school day to children and young people. Where provision is made by South Ayrshire
catering services, children and young people pay as they make use of the service. In a
few schools, provision is made by the out of school care sector, while in one school,
provision is made by a community group.
3.2
In order to determine demand for a free breakfast service, a pilot breakfast club has
been running in Dalmilling Primary School since January 2014. The purpose of the pilot
was to determine uptake and costs. While all agree the importance of starting the day
with a nutritious breakfast, little evidence was available about demand or about the
measurable positive impact of such a service. Since starting, the breakfast club is
regularly attended by an average of 53 children per day. The maximum attendance has
been 67 and the minimum 37. The average attendance represents around 20% of the
school population. The weekly cost for food is around £1.20 per pupil. The addition of
staff costs takes the total cost to £100 per week for an average of 53 children.
3.3
The five primary schools in South Ayrshire with the highest number of children from
deciles 1 and 2 of the Scottish Index of Multiple deprivation are Newton, Braehead,
Dalmilling, St John’s and Girvan primary schools. Collectively the school roll for the four
additional schools is just under 1000 children. If the uptake for breakfast provision is
similar to Dalmilling PS at around 20%, then around 250 children would attend across
the five schools equalling a cost of around £500 per week. Presuming the figures
remain stable at around 20% uptake, the cost over a full academic year of 39 weeks
equates to around £19,500.
4.
5.
Proposals
4.1
Continue the current pilot until the end of June 2014 in Dalmilling Primary School and
extend the breakfast club to the other four schools identified as having the highest
number of children attending from the two most deprived deciles in the authority.
4.2
A further report should be presented at the June 2014 Leadership Panel relating to
attendance, ongoing costs and the benefits to the children in the pilot schools.
Resource Implications
5.1
Financial
Panel are asked to note indicative costs based on an assumption of 20% uptake across
five schools, equating to weekly costs for breakfast provision of £500 per week. The
total cost of the proposals is:
£6,500 (2013/14) cost to date for Dalmilling PS plus projected cost in additional
4 schools to the end of June.
£19,50 (2014-15) - (39x500) -number of school weeks x weekly cost
5.2 Legal
No issues
5.3 Human Resources
Indicative costs arising from additional catering staff hours are included in the figures
detailed above. Costs will be slightly higher in the one school which does not normally
have catering staff in at the time a breakfast club operates, but still contained within the
overall scope of the proposal.
6.
Risk
6.1
7.
There is a risk that the level of uptake varies from that assumed. Additional demand
would require a further draw of funds from the funds set aside to mitigate the effects of
Welfare Reform.
Equalities
7.1 A scoping paper has been submitted indicating positive impact on those living in the
most deprived areas of the Council.
8.
Sustainable Development Implications
8.1
This Report does not propose or seek approval for a plan, policy, programme or
strategy or document otherwise described which could be considered to constitute a
plan, programme, policy or strategy.
9.
Options Appraisal
9.1
10.
An options appraisal has not been carried out in relation to the subject matter of this
report.
Link to Council Plan
We will work to maximise the potential of our children and families and we look after our most
vulnerable children and families.
11.
Results of Consultation
(1)
There has been no public consultation on the contents of this paper.
(2)
Consultation has taken place with Councillor Margaret Toner, Portfolio Holder for
Lifelong Learning.
Background Papers
Special Council Meeting – October 2013
Person to Contact
Douglas Hutchison
Head of Education
Care Learning and Wellbeing
Date: 12 March 2014