Local MP Visits Bexleyheath Nursery to Celebrate The Great British Milk Break
Children at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery in Bexleyheath welcomed Daniel Francis, MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford, on Wednesday 30 September to celebrate The Great British Milk Break, a national celebration of school milk held on World School Milk Day.
The visit comes as more than eight in 10 Londoners back extending free school milk to the end of Reception year.
During the visit, Mr Francis joined the children for their milk break and toured the nursery. He also met staff to hear about the role milk plays in the nursery’s day, and explained his job as an MP, including how he splits his time between representing Bexleyheath and Crayford in Parliament and working locally in the constituency.
A National Celebration of School Milk
Organised by Cool Milk, the UK’s leading school milk supplier, The Great British Milk Break saw 507 schools and nurseries take part across all nine English regions, as well as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with an estimated 75,000 to 90,000 children joining in.
Parv Choudhury, Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Bexleyheath, said:
“Milk breaks are an important part of our day at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery. They give the children time to rest, chat with their friends and enjoy a nutritious drink together, and they really look forward to them. It was great to have Daniel Francis here to celebrate The Great British Milk Break with us, and the children loved showing him how they enjoy their milk time.”
Mike Ferrand, Managing Director at Cool Milk, said:
“World School Milk Day was a brilliant chance to celebrate the part milk plays in children’s day at school, and we’re thrilled that 507 schools and nurseries, including Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery, joined The Great British Milk Break. But while children in the same Reception class sat down for the same milk break, some will already have lost their free milk simply because they have turned five.
“Children’s access to healthy nutrition shouldn’t depend on the month they were born. Extending free school milk to the end of Reception is a simple, low-cost and evidence-based change that would support families, reduce burdens on schools and help give every child the fair start they deserve.”
Why Milk Matters in the Early Years
Milk plays an important role in children’s early development, providing key nutrients such as calcium, protein and vitamin D that support growth and long-term bone and dental health. Shared milk breaks also give children a calm moment in the day to build confidence and social skills.
However, under current Government policy, children lose access to free school milk on their fifth birthday. This means they stop receiving free milk at different points during their first year of primary school. Many of the children at Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery will go on to start Reception, where some will lose their free milk months before their classmates. After their fifth birthday, school milk is only available through a subsidised scheme, and only 13.5% of parents choose to pay for it, meaning more than 480,000 children stop receiving school milk once their entitlement ends.
What Londoners Think
Little is known about this unequal access to free school milk. However, a poll of 2,209 UK adults, commissioned by Cool Milk earlier this year, found that:
- More than eight in 10 (84%) Londoners support extending free school milk to all children for the whole of their Reception year.
- In the capital, 88% agree that free school milk can help support families facing cost-of-living pressures.
- 89% agree that good nutrition during a child’s first year of primary school is important for their learning and development.
Fair Milk for a Fair Start
Through its ‘Fair milk for a fair start’ campaign, Cool Milk is calling on the Government to introduce a universal cut-off date so that all children can receive free school milk until the end of Reception. Members of the public can show their support in just a few clicks by using Cool Milk’s Write to your MP tool at fairmilkfairstart.com.