Deliver a free breakfast club by sharing staff duties and engaging staff
Example
School details
School name: Holbrook Primary School
Location: Trowbridge, Wiltshire
Phase: Primary
Number of pupils: 223
Contact details: Deputy headteacher – Rose Nunn - rnunn@holbrook.wilts.sch.uk
Key impacts and outcomes
Sharing free breakfast club duties amongst leadership has helped other members of staff to feel supported. Staff see the club as part of the school and not an add-on.
Sharing breakfast club responsibilities amongst support staff has made participation easy and increased staff investment overall.
Actively working with members of staff to shape the provision has helped staff understand why the club matters. This has strengthened their commitment and connection to the provision.
Background from Rose Nunn, Deputy Headteacher
When we launched our free breakfast club at Holbrook Primary School, our aim was simple:
Create a fun, welcoming, friendly, and respectful atmosphere where all Holbrook children feel safe and valued.
We staffed and resourced our club to have space for every Holbrook child right from the start. We were very keen to ensure a good level of staffing to keep children safe. We also wanted to provide children with adults they trust and know well to check in with at the start of their day.
Our existing wraparound team (3 adults) start work at 7:30am to welcome children to paid breakfast club. This club then transitions to free breakfast club at 8:15am, when five additional support staff join the club. These are Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) who already work in the school.
Sharing duties to manage workload
We used leadership presence to share the workload and improve safety
Every day, at least one senior leader is present on a rota. This includes:
- the headteacher
- deputy headteacher
- assistant headteacher
- SENCO and
- pastoral manager.
This allows for a consistent leadership presence, modelling the importance of the provision and a sense of collective ownership.
The senior leadership team register children on entry for safeguarding. They manage the gate opening/closing, support outdoor play and step in when numbers rise or weather conditions require more supervision.
We made participation as flexible as possible
We offered extra paid hours to all support staff, and uptake was strong. This early involvement helped staff feel invested, and many asked to join.
- Support staff could claim their free breakfast club hours as overtime.
- Staff were not required to commit to every day.
- Colleagues with their own children could use the club themselves.
- Senior leaders shared the duty across the week. Although the first few months were intense, workloads became more manageable as the club became established.
Clear funding arrangements mean the club is now sustainable. We look at staffing levels regularly to accommodate for flexibility whilst maintaining a good, stable level of staffing. The club runs well when there are lots of adults to facilitate play, provide breakfast and talk to our wonderful children.
How we encouraged staff engagement
We involved staff in shaping the provision
Working with staff to build the following principles helped align everyone’s expectations and built momentum behind the initiative.
Principles:
- Leaders met with colleagues to discuss their vision for the club and gathered input from parents/carers and pupils too.
- Together, we developed clear guiding principles and shared these with staff and parents. We also held conversations with pupils, parents and colleagues. These early discussions shaped the offer and made staff feel part of a shared mission.
- The wraparound team were involved in meetings at the start of implementation planning to discuss all aspects including equipment and the day to day running of the club.
- The core wraparound team meets regularly with leaders to discuss next steps and any challenges, meaning staff feedback continues to influence how the club operates.
For teachers, sharing the principles vision was part of their professional development meetings from the start.
We prioritised enjoyment
The free breakfast club is enjoyable for both staff and pupils, which supports staff wellbeing. Our staff enjoy spending some less structured time with the children, playing games and facilitating play. There is a happy atmosphere and a strong sense of community. Children and adults enjoy time to check in with one another ahead of the school day.
Wider benefits for the school
We support our staff to recognise the positive impacts the club has on the school more widely. For example, some vulnerable children dramatically improving their attendance despite having to be at school earlier.
Teachers are still able to get ready for their day as normal, as they are not directly involved in the club. They benefit from pupils being calm at the start of the day and ready to learn. Many teachers enjoy the chance to spend some time with their children outside of the classroom environment.
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