Education

Free Breakfast Clubs in Primary Schools

Breakfast clubs are now being delivered in primary schools, helping children start the day ready to learn and easing pressure on families. This forms part of Labour’s mission to break the unfair link between background and success. We are looking at rolling this out to all Primary Schools.

By ensuring children receive a nutritious meal at the start of the day, we are supporting better behaviour, improved attendance and higher attainment. These changes are already making a difference to working parents who simply want the best for their children.

Free School Meals for All Children in Families on Universal Credit

I welcomed a major step forward for families across Bolton South and Walkden, with up to 11,450 children in our community set to benefit from free school meals at the start of the school year.

I know from speaking to parents just how much this will help. It’s not just about easing financial pressure at home — it’s about making sure children can focus, thrive, and succeed in school without the barrier of hunger holding them back.

I put this directly to the Schools Minister and asked whether he agreed that this is the kind of support families have needed for years — and whether it shows the Government is finally serious about tackling child poverty and giving every child a fair chance.

The Minister recognised that this move is both pro-learning and anti-poverty — and I’ll continue holding the Government to that standard: to deliver real, lasting support for children who need it most.

£700 Million for Urgent School Repairs

After years of Conservative neglect, too many school buildings were simply not fit for purpose. The Education Estates Strategy sets out a 10 year programme of national renewal, backed by unprecedented long term funding to rebuild, repair and modernise the education estate. The government has already committed £700 million through the Renewal and Retrofit Programme to tackle urgent issues before they become crises.

This is about more than bricks and mortar. It is about restoring confidence for children, parents and staff that their school is a safe, modern and inspiring place to learn. It is also about ending the old pattern of patch and mend that left too many children in buildings that were deteriorating or unsafe.

£1 Billion to Transform SEND Support

I welcome the £1 billion allocated nationally to improve Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision as part of the government’s wider investment in specialist places and support. The Education Estates Strategy makes clear that the availability of SEND spaces has not kept pace with need, and sets out a decade long plan to make schools inclusive by design.

This investment sits alongside Labour’s landmark SEND reforms and the most ambitious teacher training plan in our country’s history, providing £200 million to train and upskill staff in every school, nursery and college so that every child with additional needs gets the support they deserve.

Listening to Parents and Taking Their Concerns to Parliament

I recently held a roundtable with local parents who contacted me about SEND provision. They shared honest, heartfelt accounts of the challenges they have faced, and I want to thank every parent who took part.

I have raised these concerns directly in Parliament because families should never have to battle for support. The system we inherited was broken and had lost the confidence of families. Labour is rebuilding it so children can learn and thrive in a school that understands and meets their needs.

Whether it is expanding free school meals, funding breakfast clubs, repairing schools, investing in SEND provision or ensuring inclusive, safe learning environments, this Labour government is focused on giving every child the best possible start.

I will continue to work with parents, teachers and our local community to make sure your voices shape the changes being delivered in Westminster.