Engage and empower staff to deliver a free breakfast club
Example
School details
School name: Sunny Bank Primary School
Location: Sittingbourne, Kent
Phase: Primary
Number of pupils: 228
Contact details: Headteacher – Nicole Hyett - sbheadofschool@tiltrust.org
Key impacts and outcomes
Staff feel trusted, empowered and professionally fulfilled, with their ideas directly shaping the provision and strengthening motivation.
Stronger relationships with pupils lead to fewer challenging moments during the day, making teaching and support work more rewarding.
- Staff experience a more predictable, joined-up approach across the school.
- Pupils have individual time with adults before lessons begin.
- Pupils can practice curriculum areas outside the classroom.
The delivery of the free breakfast club has become a predictable part of the school routine, which helps staff feel ready for the rest of the day.
Background from Nicole Hyett, Headteacher
Our free breakfast club has become one of the happiest parts of the school day. It’s run by three of our experienced teaching assistants, who not only support learning in class but who know the children and have strong relational practice. We extended their contract start times to include breakfast club setting up times.
Our staff love getting to know the children on a deeper level, supporting their social interactions, joining in with play and helping them begin the day feeling settled. We have seen that these early interactions have helped reduce behavioural incidents later in the day. This eases staff workload and time spent addressing these issues, making this a rewarding experience for staff.
The club gives children a positive, calm and fun start to their morning, setting them up for learning. It’s more than just breakfast - it’s a space where relationships grow.
How we built staff engagement in free breakfast club
We gave staff ownership and autonomy
One of the main contributors to staff wellbeing has been giving teaching assistants genuine ownership of the free breakfast club. We make time to listen to their ideas, and many of the most successful changes have come directly from them.
Staff suggested introducing an earlier tidy up time on sunny days so children could go outside before lessons. This small change improved transitions, reduced supervision pressure and created a calmer start for everyone.
We found that having a senior leader available during free breakfast club sessions provides reassurance and makes staff feel valued.
We created a development opportunity that feels meaningful
We framed our free breakfast club as a chance for staff to develop professionally. Teaching assistants can expand their knowledge of nurture and child development in real time, which has strengthened their confidence and sense of purpose. We have found that this helps staff feel more professionally fulfilled and better equipped for the rest of the school day.
We created a calm setting for relationship building
Some children experienced social difficulties with peers during the breakfast club. Providing a group situation in a smaller setting with a mixture of year groups, has supported this.
Free breakfast club gives staff time to build and strengthen relationships with pupils, including those who may struggle with behaviour throughout the school day. Staff often use this time for gentle restorative conversations, helping children reset before lessons begin. It also allows the chance for older children to role-model for younger children and support in leading activities.
We helped staff see the wider benefits for their day
We support our staff to understand how the free breakfast club improves attendance, behaviour and classroom readiness for our pupils. Teachers and support staff often drop in informally, strengthening relationships and creating a sense of whole school community.
Free breakfast club staff also make use of the time with pupils before school to support phonics, reading, writing or Times Table Rock Stars activities.
Staff feel part of a joined-up approach that makes the rest of the day smoother and more predictable. Teachers benefit from their pupils having some individual time with staff before school to practice areas of the curriculum, outside of the classroom environment.
Consistent routines and staff numbers to reduce pressure
We made the change to our staffing numbers due to the increase in the number of children attending. We wanted to ensure this was a positive experience for all concerned.
We knew that 3 staff members worked best for us:
- 1 to support with serving of food
- 1 to support with tabletop games/activities and
- 1 to support with floor level games.
This meant we had sufficient adults to supervise regardless of numbers as children are split into zones by choice of activity. We also have a wonderful school caretaker who greets the children on the door as they arrive.
A clear, consistent routine has been essential for staff wellbeing. It reduces decision-making pressure, ensures transitions are calm and manageable, and prevents bottlenecks. All these factors ensure staff feel supported rather than rushed.
Our routine includes:
- Early tidy-up – One adult gathers the pupils while others clear the hall.
- Outdoor play – All staff finish tasks together and move outside as a team.
- Smooth classroom entry – Staff accompany pupils into class, ensuring a calm start.
- Wet-weather plan – KS2 pupils help KS1, reducing staff workload and keeping transitions orderly.
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