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Schools & education

Our work in schools and education focuses on supporting families to ensure their children have the educational opportunities they need and deserve

What we do in schools & education

Schools are under pressure to support children and young people in a context of increasing mental ill health and additional needs of all kinds. From children who rely on schools for their only meals of the day, to those who cannot attend regularly due to high levels of emotional need, neurodiversity or mental health issues, the challenges facing schools and families are complex and multi-faceted.

Family Action delivers the National School Breakfast Programme, funded by the Department of Education to schools across England. We supply schools with food to provide pupils with a tasty and nutritious breakfast to start their day. Our dedicated and knowledgeable team offers guidance and support to schools to ensure that pupils get the most from their breakfast provision

BOSS is our Behaviour Outreach Support Service – a bespoke service for schools in England. We can support schools with training that helps them work towards the best outcomes for children and young people in their care. We also help schools to become Young Carer friendly.

We give young people the opportunity to speak up and raise awareness of issues that matter to them, and we use our expertise and experience from across the diverse range of services we deliver, to advocate at a national level for children, young people and families in the education system. That might be on issues related to SEND, school breakfast clubs, free school meals or attendance issues.

Stories from families we have helped...

Back to school dread: a young carer’s story

Back to school tips for children with SEND

Sammie’s Story: my daughter’s autism diagnosis and support

School breakfasts start the day in the right way

National School Breakfast Programme’s first special school

Support our work in schools & education

If you care as much as we do about supporting families to ensure their children have the educational opportunities they need and deserve there are many ways you can help: donate, volunteer, partner with us as an organisation or commission our services.

Donate

Donations help us continue to give practical, emotional and financial support where needed.

Volunteer

Whether you want to be involved with mentoring, children’s centres or something else, you could make a real difference in one of our volunteer roles.

Partner with us

We create bespoke partnerships that meet company objectives while helping families shape, or reshape their futures for themselves.

Commission us

If you would like to discuss how we might be able to support you with delivering a service, please get in touch.
2 children in school uniform eating breakfast food
A female FOOD Club volunteer sets out packages of food on a table outside a centre
A team of adults with their arms streteched out to the middles of a circle, hands on top of each others'
A group of teenagers walking in school uniform

Our breakfast club at The Forest Academy has so far been a massive success. Each day we have had more students attend than the day before, and the reception from the parents and the school community has been very positive.

Principal Will Mackintosh, Forest Academy

We are really pleased with the partnership with the National School Breakfast Programme, and it is part of our commitment at The Forest Academy to ensure all students can start the day with a healthy breakfast and to ensure that no child goes hungry.

Our schools and education services

Find out more about the National Schools Breakfast Programme, or find a local service supporting children and families in a school setting.

Find a local service

Our memberships

Family Action belongs to a wide range of alliances and networks to create spaces and platforms for families to share their stories, and enable us to share our organisational learning from service delivery.

Through our work in schools & education, we are proud members of the School Food Plan Alliance.

Read about our work in other areas...

Children & families

Young people

Food & financial hardship

Special educational needs & disabilities

Adoption & special guardianship

Health & wellbeing

Skills & employability

Call, text, email or web chat FamilyLine

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, worried or upset about any aspect of your family life, FamilyLine is here for you. We offer free emotional support and guidance on family relationships, conflict, parenting, caring, financial worries and more.

Contact FamilyLine