Sureena Brackenridge MP visits E-ACT Willenhall to see Magic Breakfast club in action

Students and staff at E-ACT Willenhall Academy welcomed local MP Sureena Brackenridge on Friday 23 May, as she visited the school to see firsthand the impact of its Magic Breakfast provision.

The MP for Wolverhampton North East was joined by Finlay Allmond from Magic Breakfast, the national charity working to ensure no child is too hungry to learn. She was welcomed by headteacher Tim Marston and the academy’s dedicated breakfast ambassadors.

As part of her visit, Ms Brackenridge joined students in the canteen for breakfast, speaking with them and staff who help lead the school’s breakfast provision. She saw students enjoying both sit-down and grab-and-go breakfast options, and learned how the club helps them feel ready to start the day focused and well fed.

After breakfast, Ms Brackenridge joined the morning playground lineup and was shown the academy’s striking VE Day art display, with the Art Ambassadors proudly sharing how they created the pieces. She also met with the school’s cadets and saw how breakfast provision continues to be made available throughout the morning.

The visit concluded with discussions around the wider impact of school breakfast programmes and the role they play in tackling child food insecurity.

Tim Marston, headteacher at E-ACT Willenhall, said: “It was a pleasure to welcome Sureena Brackenridge MP to E-ACT Willenhall and demonstrate the positive impacts of our breakfast club. The Magic Breakfast provision makes a tangible difference to the lives of our students every day, and it was fantastic to be able to show this in action. We’re proud of our team and our students for making this such a valuable and positive visit for everyone involved.”

Sureena Brackenridge MP said: “Thank you to Tim Marston and his inspirational team for the warm welcome I received at E-ACT Willenhall. I spent the majority of my career in the classroom, and seeing the difference that a warm breakfast makes on a student's opportunities and outcomes cannot be understated. Seeing the students join together at breakfast, socialising, but crucially making sure that they were fed and ready to learn puts them in the headspace to succeed.

“Thank you to the team from Magic Breakfast and the staff who lead the breakfast provision. Both the staff and students are an absolute credit to the vision of the school.”

Finlay Allmond, Magic Breakfast, added: “I was pleased to be able to join Sureena Brackenridge MP on her visit to Willenhall Academy. The students are able to choose from a number of breakfast options, and it was good to see that this flexibility means more pupils take up our breakfast offer. It's important that students start the day in a supportive environment, meaning they can better focus on their education. At Magic Breakfast, we continue to campaign for, and offer, school breakfast to pupils and schools across England & Scotland.”