Commenting on a report by education charity Magic Breakfast, which calls for the government to invest £75 million into school breakfast provision, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: “We agree that more funding is urgently needed to combat child hunger and that improving breakfast club provision for pupils could be an important part of that effort.

“Hunger is a real concern for school staff who regularly see children arriving in the morning without having eaten, and therefore not ready to learn. These concerns have only been exacerbated by the pandemic and the financial impact it has had on many families. We know that some children rely on school for their only certain meal of the day.

“Many schools already run breakfast clubs for their pupils and often look to target that support for the pupils that need it most. But there are huge challenges facing schools in providing enough places. Capacity, staffing, availability of space, and school transport are all issues, and the government needs to recognise that these all come at an additional cost.”