Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

Written evidence submitted by The LEGO Group (CWSB192)

Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill Public Bill Committee Call for Evidence

The LEGO Group’s name is derived from the two Danish words Leg Godt which mean "Play Well". We are a Danish-headquartered family-owned company founded in 1932. For almost 100 years we have focussed on producing high quality toys and experiences that teach children about the world and give them the skills to thrive in it.

Over decades we have been delivering on our mission to "inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow". From our iconic LEGO® brick, to play experiences incorporating technology, we have embraced innovation and are ranked as the most reputable company in the world [1] .

In the UK the LEGO Group employs over 2,000 people and currently has 20 retail stores. London is the site of one of five global employee hubs, and home to over 1,000 colleagues. Globally, we are proud to employ 28,500 people.

 

Executive summary

1. The LEGO Group welcomes the government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and strongly supports the provision of breakfast clubs, as laid out in Part Two, Clause 21 of the Bill. We ask that the government work with the LEGO Group and other likeminded stakeholders who are keen to support on this vital policy agenda and to offer insights that may be of value for helping to maximise the benefits of breakfast clubs for children.

2. There is significant overlap between the aims of the breakfast club policy as set out in the Bill, and the LEGO Group’s ambition to empower children to learn and thrive through play. We strongly support the vital necessity of ensuring children have access to a nutritional breakfast to provide a positive start to the day and helping ensur e children are ready to learn. In our view these benefits can be further enhanced by the inclusion of enrichment activities, such as play, being physically active or spending time pursing passions and interests, as part of the breakfast club’s design.

3. At the LEGO Group it is our fundamental belief that play is critical for children’s learning, for supporting their wellbeing and for aiding the development of essential life skills such as creativity, communication and resilience, which are fundamental to their own and society’s progress. We ask th at the unique benefits of enrichment activities, such as play , are factored into the design of the breakfast club programme and believe this could be achieved through a small amendment to the Bill.

4. This will enhance t he role of b reakfast clubs as a tool to break ing down barriers to opportunity by offering children a chance to play and p articipate in other valuable activities that further their interests . In our view this is complimentary to the support that breakfast clubs offer to children in providing them with a positive start to the day, a healthy meal, and opportunities to socialise with their peers.

Maximising the benefits of the breakfast club programme

5. We welcome the government’s proposals on breakfast clubs to support the need for every child to have access to a nutritional breakfast before the school day starts. We additionally consider that there would be significant benefit to children if this time also incorporated access to play and other enrichment activities.

6. Supporting children in accessing high quality play both as part of formal and informal education is essential for critical skill development and children’s social and emotional wellbeing. The delivery of breakfast clubs in every primary school provides an opportunity to engage children in activities such as play and we strongly believe these should be included as part of the clubs’ design.

7. In our view, this could be achieved through a small amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill. To ensure free breakfast clubs include enrichment opportunities supporting children to have greater access to activities including play, sport, music, reading, art and more as a core part of the delivery of the policy, we propose amending the Bill as follows:

Clause 21, page 41, line 16, after 551B(2)(b) insert:

(c) the provision of enrichment activities before the start of the first school session on each school day

8. We consider this will be hugely beneficial for children, ensuring that through the provision of breakfast clubs they are further supported to develop key skills, to undertake high quality activities that support their wellbeing and are provided the opportunity to pursue their passions and interests.

9. The LEGO Group wants to work with government and other interested organisations to ensure every child can have access to crucial Learning-through-Play opportunities. We believe that the breakfast club programme is an excellent opportunity to do so

Breaking down barriers to opportunity through play

10. At the LEGO Group we firmly believe in the transformative power of Learning-through-Play. We know that through play children are naturally curious and creative, play teaches children to connect ideas and experiences and gain a deeper understanding of the world. Play supports wellbeing and unlocks essential life skills. As a company we are committed to playing our part in building a society that prioritises children, from their earliest years onwards, and sets them up to succeed. We are working with expert partners to foster an environment that improves opportunities for all children so that they can fulfil their potential and be better prepared for their lives ahead.

11. For example, the LEGO Group’s Power of Play in Tower Hamlets initiative, which launched in May 2024, is working with expert partners to help overcome barriers to children’s play and demonstrate how to foster Learning-through-Play in practice and in partnership with local communities. Research commissioned by the LEGO Group found that Tower Hamlets was amongst the worst areas in the UK in relation to access to play for children – driven by a lack of indoor and outdoor play spaces, concerns around child safety, and a lack of available free time for families to engage in structured play.   

12. The LEGO Group, with funding from the LEGO Foundation, has convened a coalition of partners - Save the Children UK, Young V&A, EasyPeasy, the Institute of Imagination and Ambition, Aspire, Achieve – to take a collective approach to improving access to quality Learning-through-Play opportunities for children across Tower Hamlets. This borough-wide initiative draws on the expertise of each organisation to create a unified step change in harnessing the power of play to promote children’s wellbeing and develop essential skills such as creativity, confidence and communication. It is using a three-pronged approach within homes, schools and across the community, deliberately working in close collaboration with the local community to ensure play opportunities are meaningful and locally relevant.  The Power of Play programme will also work together to develop parents, carers and educators’ confidence to use play to strengthen children’s learning.    

13. Similarly we are committed to upholding and enhancing children’s fundamental right to play as set out in Article 32 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This why the LEGO Group are proud to have brought to fruition, in collaboration with the LEGO Foundation, a campaign with a host of international partners which successfully led to the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly, of an International Day of Play on June 11th.

14. Central to this advocating effort were the views of children. Global research with 25,000 children across 36 countries found that as many as 73% of children of children don’t believe adults take play seriously [2] . Similarly in consultations with 10,000 children globally, 52% said they would like more time to play and 49% said they would like more spaces or places to play [3] .

February 2025