This week I was delighted to announce that four Calder Valley primary schools will be among the first in England to offer free breakfast clubs under a new government scheme, saving families up to £450 a year.

From April pupils at Cornholme Junior, Infant and Nursery School; Scout Road Academy; Elland CE Junior, Infant and Nursery School and Luddenden CE School will receive breakfast and 30 minutes of free childcare. These schools have been chosen as ‘early adopter’ pilots before rollout to all schools.

A few people have asked me why free breakfast clubs are needed. It’s a good question, given that the UK is a relatively wealthy country. The answer is many families are struggling to feed their kids. I have heard directly from teachers about kids who can’t concentrate in lessons because they are hungry, and figures from Child Poverty Action Group show that 4.3 million children in the UK are growing up in poverty. This means kids having fewer chances and parents often missing meals so their children can eat.

I cannot think of a sadder legacy of 14 years of Tory government than kids going to school too hungry to learn, we are determined to tackle the root causes. Free breakfast clubs sit amongst our wider commitments to fairer wages, stronger workers’ rights, and greater access to affordable childcare.

Josh Fenton-Glynn MP with children from Barkisland CE School

Our plan to invest in children also stretches far beyond making sure they are fed at breakfast time. Last year soon after my election I secured funding for the long-overdue rebuilding of twelve Calder Valley schools. Work is already underway at Castle Hill School in Todmorden, with the remainder beginning in two phases starting in April 2025.

We intend to build on these early actions. Immediately after the general election last year the government established an expert UK-wide Child Poverty Taskforce. I raised this work with the Secretary of State for Education in Parliament this week. She confirmed in-depth research is taking place to understand the challenges so many families in poverty are facing, and potential measures needed to alleviate them. The taskforce will report in the Spring.

I hope struggling families can see the difference we can make. A free breakfast club won’t fix everything, but it will mean you can drop your child off at school a bit earlier, knowing they will be fed and well looked after. It might enable you to accept a different and better paid job, with a slightly longer travel time. It is a start.

As we work to repair 14 years of Tory neglect I encourage families who are struggling to make use of every bit of help available. So many kids who could be having free school meals miss out, check if you are entitled and apply here: www.new.calderdale.gov.uk/benefits/free-school-meals.

Enrol your kids in the brilliant Healthy Holidays Calderdale programme, which the government recently funded for another year. There are a huge range of free activity clubs that run across the borough during school holidays, including a healthy meal. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for details of when bookings open for Easter: www.facebook.com/HealthyHolidaysCalderdale/.

Political Opinion: Investing in children across Calder Valley