London - Children who eat breakfast before school are twice as likely to score highly in tests than those who start learning on an empty stomach, research shows.
A study of 5 000 nine-to-11-year-olds carried out by Cardiff University reveals the first authoritative link between eating breakfast and academic performance.
Nutritionists have long argued that eating breakfast helps a child concentrate better at school - and have already shown a link between eating breakfast and staying healthy. However, today's research shows for the first time that children are twice as likely to score higher than average marks in assessments at 11 if they have started the day with a healthy breakfast.
However, eating unhealthy items such as sweets and crisps for breakfast - as one in five children do - does not have any positive spin-off in academic achievement. The study describes a healthy breakfast as cereals, bread, fruit and milk products.
Hannah Littlecott, the lead author of the study, said: “This study offers the strongest evidence yet of links between aspects of what pupils eat and how well they do at school, which has significant implications for education and public policy research - pertinent in light of rumours that free school meals may be scrapped following George Osborne's November spending review.”
Professor Chris Bonell, of University College London, said: “Many schools now offer their pupils a breakfast. Ensuring that those young people most in need benefit from these schemes may represent an important mechanism for boosting performance.”
Dr Graham Moore, co-author of the report, said: “There is reason to believe that where schools are able to find ways of encouraging those young people who don't eat breakfast at home to eat a school breakfast, they will reap educational benefits.”
The Independent