Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill

  Written evidence submitted by Into Film (CWSB241)

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

About Into Film

1. At Into Film , we believe that every young person in the UK should have equal access to the education, enrichment, and employment opportunities presented by the medium of film and the country’s thriving screen industries. As the UK’s leading charity for film in education, our positions are based on over a decade of supporting young filmmakers and bringing the power of moving image storytelling into classroom teaching.

2. The core Into Film programme is free for UK state schools, colleges and other youth settings; thanks to support from partners and funders including the BFI and the National Lottery, Cinema First and Northern Ireland Screen this programme reaches over half the schools in the UK. We also run the annual Into Film Festival which enables more than 350,000 pupils to visit the cinema for free, and the Into Film Awards, the UK’s leading industry-supported showcase for young filmmaking talent.

Executive summary

3. Into Film welcomes the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and in particular we celebrate the introduction of breakfast clubs, as laid out in Part Two, Clause 21 of the Bill. We ask that the government work with Into Film and other like-minded stakeholders who work closely with schools and are committed to helping to maximise the benefits of breakfast clubs for children.

4. We strongly support the vital necessity of ensuring children have access to a nutritional breakfast based on strong evidence that this will have a positive effect on their wellbeing and readiness for the school day. These benefits can be further enhanced by the inclusion of enrichment activities that could easily be incorporated into breakfast clubs.

5. Sadly, one in five primary and secondary pupils receive no enrichment activities in an average week, rising to one in four for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. [1] Timetabled co-curricular activities ensure that young people most at risk of missing out have a reliable way to access enrichment, and are an effective way to driving participation. [2]

6. Into Film’s small amendment to the Bill would provide greater support and guidance to schools, encouraging the greater provision of enrichment activities, which will help reverse the worrying trends for disadvantaged pupils, and also improve their wellbeing and educational outcomes.

7. This would complement and enhance the role of breakfast clubs in a simple, evidence-based way that will help pupils start their day with positive cultural, educational and social activities as well as a healthy breakfast.

Enhancing Breakfast Clubs with Enrichment Activities (Clause 21)

8. We strongly support the Bill’s provision to introduce breakfast clubs in all state-funded primary schools in England, reflecting the evidence that access to a nutritious breakfast improves concentration, academic performance, and overall wellbeing.

9. We recommend that the Secretary of State provides comprehensive guidance on organising breakfast clubs effectively. This guidance should the encouragement of enrichment activities that can be easily integrated into the 30-minute breakfast period.

10. The principle of providing such guidance is supported in Breakfast clubs early adopter guidance for schools and trusts in England, which states that ‘many schools who successfully run breakfast clubs link activities with areas of educational focus for the school.’ [3] Further, it would align with guidance provided to schools relating to wraparound care; [4] this guidance cites many case studies of evidence-based learning and enrichment activities including the creation of clubs for the appreciation, discussion and making of films utilising Into Film’s resources such as the Into Film+ streaming platform. [5]

Clause 21, page 41, line 19 after 551B(3) insert:

"(4) The Secretary of State shall issue guidance to schools on the incorporation of enrichment activities within breakfast club sessions, including but not limited to educational, cultural, and recreational programs, to enhance pupils' overall development and well-being."

Member’s explanatory note

11. This amendment reflects the importance of supporting teachers and school staff in incorporating enrichment activities into breakfast clubs, bringing it in line with the early adopter guidance which seeks to maximise benefits for pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged.

Closing enrichment gaps through film

12. Like other organisations working with young people, Into Film is deeply concerned that the gap between those pupils who do and do not have access to enrichment activities based on socioeconomic background is growing. Breakfast clubs can help to close this gap.

13. We are preparing to offer guidance to the thousands of primary schools we work with to incorporate film screening, discussion and making clubs as part of a range of enrichment activities they can use to enhance their breakfast club. These sessions not only engage pupils but also provide valuable enrichment and learning opportunities; we have significant evidence gathered from our Into Film Festivals and our Into Film Clubs evaluations that learner outcomes are improved by participation in film and filmmaking enrichment activities. [6]

Conclusion

14. In summary, the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill presents a critical opportunity to address key factors influencing pupils' wellbeing. By enhancing guidance for schools on the implementation of breakfast clubs, the government can help to tackle the worrying growth of the enrichment gap and make meaningful strides in improving the wellbeing of children across England. We appreciate the opportunity to contribute to this important discussion and are available for further consultation or to provide additional evidence as needed.

Mark Frodsham

Director of Communications and Development

Into Film

February 2025