A PRIMARY school in York is celebrating a £2,000 fundraising boost to finance its free breakfast club for pupils.

Candis magazine stepped in to ease the strain on Derwent School’s budget helping to fund the daily early morning club.

The club at the Tang Hall school was the idea of business manager, Carole Tuck, a mum of three from Burton Gates, High Catton, and it is a huge hit with infants and junior pupils.

She said: “For the first six months we funded it out of the school budget, but with so many other projects to finance, paying for the club was becoming more and more difficult. That’s when I decided to apply to Candis for help.”

A Candis reader for ten years, Carole was thrilled when her application for one of the magazine’s monthly Schools’ Awards was successful.

The Schools’ Awards scheme is open to non profit-making initiatives at primary or secondary schools, nominated by readers.

Carole said: “When we found out Candis was giving us as much as £2,000 we just couldn’t believe it.

“All the pupils, staff and parents were jumping up and down with joy. It is such a boost for us and that much money will finance the breakfast club for a full year.”

Teachers have noticed a definite increase in children’s concentration levels since the club was launched a year ago.

“It is supervised every weekday by volunteer school staff.

“Children enjoy fruit juice, toast and cereals. It is also something of a social occasion. Sometimes we have different themes – like a French morning, with croissants, for instance, and French music playing.

“Even the teaching staff or parents pop in for a bit of breakfast and a cup of tea on occasions.

“And there is always a queue of children waiting for us to open at 8am. We get up to 40 attending some mornings,” said Carole.

Youngsters can have a choice of cereal, a hot drink, fresh orange juice, toast and a yoghurt in the dining hall from 8am to 8.30am five days a week.

The school has a 45 per cent uptake of free school meals – the largest in the City of York Council area – and the breakfast club already has 40 members a day out of the 170 pupils who go to the school.

Anyone who thinks they can help with the club can phone Mrs Tuck on 01904 410009.