Children who skip breakfast 'missing out on a day of learning each week'

School children who skip breakfast are missing out on the equivalent of a day's worth of lessons every week.

That's the warning from a new study of teachers across the country, who say 800,000 children are going to school every day with an empty stomach.

The study, from Kellogg's, found one in nine children do not eat a meal before school and teachers say it is affecting their education.

Older children are even more likely to start the day without anything to eat, with one in six secondary school children not having breakfast.

Teachers are warning that recent cuts to school funding have impact their breakfast club provision.

Lisa Taylor, the Headteacher at Martenscroft Nursery and Children's Centre in Hulme, said:

"It has the short term and the longer term benefits. It obviously has the short term benefits for the children right here and in the right now as well as the benefits for the parents.

"But in terms of looking longer term benefits, it's about building those healthy lifestyles for children so in terms of looking longer term at obesity and parenting skills for these children I think that's what we need to focus on as well.

"There's benefits for parents, children and teachers as well.

Debbie Keary is the Head of the Children's Centres at Martenscroft:

"They're full, they've had a drink and they're ready for the day. They're ready to start learning. They're ready to become involved.

"If you can imagine if we're hungry then we're not focused because all we can think is that we're hungry and need a drink so having it accessible for the children is great."