A school in Birmingham has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Best Breakfast Club in the West Midlands as part of Kellogg’s annual awards.

If it wins, St. Patrick and St. Edmund’s Catholic Primary School will receive a £1,000 cash prize, plus an invitation to the Houses of Parliament, where the celebratory event is held. The Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards champion the inspiring work that goes on in schools up and down the country.

Around 100-120 children attend the breakfast club every morning before school. The club welcomes all children with food, company and conversation, creating a safe atmosphere that students carry with them throughout the day.

Lorraine Sergent from St. Patrick and St. Edmund’s Catholic Primary School said: “We have been running our Breakfast Club for one year and have seen first-hand the wonderful benefits it has had for both pupils and parents.

placeholder image — Children enjoying a Breakfast Club

“We're incredibly proud to be shortlisted for this year’s Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards. Writing our entry gave us the opportunity to celebrate the fantastic children who attend every morning, not to mention the hard-working staff.

“If we’re lucky enough to win the award for Best Breakfast Club in the West Midlands, we would spend the prize money on some outdoor equipment for the children to play with, as the school currently has limited resources.”

A recent survey¹ from Kellogg’s found that of the 92 per cent of West Midlands based teachers who work in a school with a breakfast club, over half (59 per cent) feel the clubs have a positive impact on absenteeism.

This comes as 56 per cent think it’s easier for struggling parents to get children into school if food is provided, with a further 37 per cent believing it helps give the children additional pastoral support.

A spokesperson for Kellogg’s said: “So many clubs across the UK deserve recognition and after receiving a record number of applications this year, it’s been tough to pick our finalists out of all the hard-working schools.

“Breakfast clubs like the one St. Patrick and St. Edmund’s Catholic Primary School runs play a vital role in their local communities. Thanks to the staff’s dedication, these clubs are able to both support working parents and feed hungry children. This has a direct impact in helping bring pupils into school when previously they may have remained absent.

“Kellogg’s has supported Breakfast Clubs for 26 years and we now see the clubs face more challenges than ever before, so we are delighted to be able to recognise them for all of the hard work and dedication they put in.”

A specialist panel of judges will assess all shortlisted entries across the UK. This will include CEO of Magic Breakfast Lindsay Mcdonald, CEO of Fareshare George Wright, Conservative MP Robin Walker, House of Lords member Baroness Debbie Wilcox and Matthew Burton from Educating Yorkshire. The winners will be announced in June 2024.