Oasis to strengthen wraparound care with government’s breakfast club rollout

As the Government expands its universal free breakfast club initiative across England, Oasis academies are already demonstrating the transformative impact that a nutritious start to the day can have on pupils’ learning, wellbeing and readiness to thrive.

Supported through the Department for Education’s Best Start programme, which is set to grow after the Easter holidays in April, the initiative provides schools with additional funding to open their doors earlier and ensure no child begins the day hungry. Nineteen Oasis academies are now part of the rollout, reinforcing the trust’s long-standing commitment to community wellbeing and wrap-around care.

For years, many Oasis schools have prioritised breakfast provision through strong partnerships with organisations such as Magic Breakfast and the Greggs Foundation. These programmes have already enabled thousands of our students to begin the day nourished, calm and ready to learn.

One academy benefitting from the national rollout is Oasis Academy Clarksfield in Oldham, where a thriving daily breakfast club in The Hive offers pupils cereal, toast, drinks and a relaxed, supportive start to their day. Children also enjoy free play and a choice of calming activities before lessons begin - an approach central to the academy’s inclusive ethos. Speaking to The Oldham Times, Rebecca Howard, Principal, welcomed the additional support:

“We are really pleased to be included in the Government’s free breakfast club roll out. This support will help us continue the work we already do to ensure that our most vulnerable pupils can enjoy a nutritious start to their day before learning begins.”

She added:

“Providing an inclusive and supportive offer for our children and families is central to our ethos at Oasis Academy Clarksfield. This funding will allow us to plan how we can further develop and grow this provision over time. While the existing morning arrangements will continue as normal for now, we look forward to exploring how this additional support can help us reach even more children.”

Also joining the April rollout is Oasis Academy Skinner Street in Gillingham, Kent, where the strengthened breakfast provision will build on an already well-used and valued offer. The news was positively received across the local community, including by Naushabah Khan, MP for Gillingham and Rainham, who publicly welcomed the academy’s inclusion on social media.

Other Oasis academies benefitting from the scheme include Connaught, Hadley, Nunsthorpe, Henderson Avenue and Oasis Academy Aspinal in Gorton, Manchester. The latter was recently highlighted by Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister’s Questions, after Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East, raised the importance of supporting schools to offer wrap-around care. The Prime Minister noted Aspinal among the Manchester schools set to provide extended support through the initiative.

For Oasis, the rollout reinforces what our academies deliver every day - inclusion, opportunity and a deep commitment to children’s wellbeing. Breakfast clubs across Oasis already demonstrate the vital role schools play in nurturing the whole child - not just academically, but socially, emotionally and physically.

As the national programme moves into its next phase in 2026, we look forward to continuing to champion the educational and community benefits of universal breakfast provision. Ensuring every child starts the day with the nourishment they need is not only a matter of health; it is a foundation for learning, confidence and lifelong opportunity.