Magic breakfast: evaluating school breakfast provision
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN14385822 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN14385822 |
| Protocol serial number | N/A |
| Sponsor | Education Endowment Foundation |
| Funder | Education Endowment Foundation |
- Submission date
- 16/02/2016
- Registration date
- 24/02/2016
- Last edited
- 18/05/2017
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Magic Breakfast is a charity in the UK that provides free, nutritious breakfasts to schoolchildren that may otherwise be too hungry to learn. A hungry child is not able to concentrate properly and will therefore not lean as much as they could for half a day’s lessons (that is, before they eat their lunch). The aim of this study is to find out whether offering a free breakfast to pupils in disadvantaged schools in England can improve pupils' academic attainment. The study will also explore the mechanisms through which attainment changes (for example whether pupils' concentration in class improves). This is useful for England, where the number of school breakfast clubs are increasing, but there are no existing tests of how well breakfast clubs work.
Who can participate?
Schools are eligible for the trial if they educate primary aged pupils (age 4-11), are in England, and have at least 35% of pupils eligible for free school meals. Schools must also have no large-scale existing breakfast club provision.
What does the study involve?
Schools are randomly assigned to one of two groups. Those in the treatment group receive support from the charity Magic Breakfast to run a universal, free, breakfast club before the school day, between September 2014 and July 2015. Those schools in the control group run as usual. All children's English and Maths skills are then assessed along with their behaviour, levels of concentration, health and attendance at school. The number of children eating breakfast at school is also counted. The control group receive the same support as the treatment group between September 2015 to July 2016.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The possible benefits of participating in the trial are that pupil hunger decreases, pupil concentration and behaviour improves, and this leads to an improvement in pupil attainment. There are no expected negative side effects from the trial.
Where is the study run from?
The study is run from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, London. It takes place in a number of primary schools in England.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
February 2014 to December 2016
Who is funding the study?
Education Endowment Foundation
Who is the main contact?
Ms Ellen Greaves
Contact information
Public
Institute for Fiscal Studies
7 Ridgmount Street
London
WC1E 7AE
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-2124-2645 |
|---|
Scientific
Institute for Fiscal Studies
7 Ridgmount Street
London
WC1E 7AE
United Kingdom
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Interventional clustered randomised controlled trial. |
| Secondary study design | Cluster randomised trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | The causal impact of universal free breakfast provision on pupil hunger, health, concentration, behaviour and attainment |
| Study objectives | The aim of this study is to find out whether offering a free breakfast to pupils in disadvantaged schools in England can improve pupils' academic attainment. The principal questions addressed by the study are: 1. What is the impact of free universal breakfast club delivery before the school day on teacher assessed levels of KS1 attainment in English (reading, writing and speaking and listening) and maths? 2. What is the impact of breakfast club delivery on teacher assessed levels and test scores (and associated levels) of KS2 attainment in English and maths? 3. What mechanisms are likely to explain any improvement in academic attainment? 3.1. Breakfast consumption 3.2. Classroom behaviour and concentration 3.3. Attendance at school 3.4. Health (proxied by measures of underweight, normal weight, and overweight) 4. Does the impact of breakfast club delivery vary across groups of pupils and different types of schools? 4.1. Pupils eligible and not eligible for free school meals 4.2. Pupils with low prior attainment 4.3. Pupils that have and don’t have breakfast 4.4. Boys and girls 4.5. Schools with and without a high participation in the breakfast club 5. What is the cost effectiveness of free universal breakfast club delivery before the school day? |
| Ethics approval(s) | UCL Research Ethics Committee, 15/05/2014, ref: 5749/001 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Academic performance of relatively disadvantaged pupils in England. |
| Intervention | Primary (or infant/junior) schools are randomly allocated to one of two groups: 1. The treatment group will receive support from the charity Magic Breakfast to establish and run a universal free breakfast club, between September 2014 and July 2015 2. The control group will receive this support one year later, between September 2015 and July 2016 |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
1. Teacher assessed levels of KS1 attainment in English (reading, writing and speaking and listening) and maths |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
1. Breakfast consumption: This outcome will be measured through two surveys of pupils, one at baseline (September 2014) and one at the end of the academic year (May 2015) |
| Completion date | 01/12/2016 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Other |
|---|---|
| Age group | Child |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 28000 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Primary (or infant/junior) schools in England 2. Schools where at least 35% of pupils are eligible for free school meals 3. Schools where there is no significant existing breakfast provision |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Schools outside England 2. Schools that are not infant/junior/primary level 3. Schools where fewer than 35% of pupils are eligible for free school meals 4. Schools where there is significant existing breakfast provision |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/06/2014 |
| Date of final enrolment | 01/08/2014 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Kingdom
- England
Study participating centre
London
WC1E 7AE
United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Data sharing statement to be made available at a later date |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Funder report results | results | No | No | ||
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
| Study website | Study website | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Editorial Notes
18/05/2017: Publication reference added.
