New funding for school breakfast clubs will help children achieve their “learning potential”, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth has said.

The Scottish Government said its new £3 million Bright Start Breakfasts scheme, which was announced in the recent Budget, will see thousands of primary school children from disadvantaged backgrounds benefit from free breakfasts.

It added that the initiative will also provide families with childcare and so support more parents to get to work in the morning.

Breakfast clubs are a crucial part of the Scottish Government’s key mission to eradicate child poverty

Ms Gilruth said the scheme “builds upon” existing support for families, including the lifting of the two-child cap and the expansion of free school meals.

“Breakfast clubs are a crucial part of the Scottish Government’s key mission to eradicate child poverty,” she said.

“We know how important a healthy breakfast can be for children, particularly those who are most at risk of poverty, and these clubs will help set children up for the day so they can achieve their learning potential.

“Bright Start Breakfasts will build upon the support that we are already providing families in the latest Budget, including lifting the two-child cap, expanding free school meals, the school clothing grant and education maintenance allowance – ultimately giving families across Scotland vital help through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.”

Announcing the initiative during her recent Budget speech, Finance Secretary Shona Robison said: “I can announce today that we will fund a new initiative that will deliver more breakfast clubs in primary schools across Scotland.

“To be called ‘Bright Start Breakfasts’, this will make things that little bit easier for working mums and dads, while also giving more of our kids a better start to their day.”