This guide explains how to configure and use the DfE funded Free Breakfast Club functionality for Primary Schools.
From the Autumn Term 2026, Primary Schools in England participating in the Department for Education (DfE) funded Free Breakfast Club Programme must record daily breakfast club attendance. The attendance data is collected through the School Census, with the first return taking place in Spring 2027.
Access: The permissions required to access the new breakfast club functionality are found in the Attendance, Framework and Reporting Modules of Config>Setup>Roles and Permissions. Each tick box on the right determines which functions are visible/available on the page for users with the selected Role.
IMPORTANT: The roles and permissions listed below will only be visible once the Breakfast Club functionality has been configured. Refer to the Configuring Breakfast Club Functionality section of this guide for further information.
For Reporting choose Report Design Permission then Attendance – Student Attendance Breakfast Club and Attendance Breakfast Club Marks, click Ok.
Watch a Recording
Click here to watch a recording of the DfE Funded Free Breakfast Club training session. A name and email address must be entered to access the recording.
Dfe Funded Free Breakfast Club Process
THE SCREENSHOTS USED IN THE GUIDE ARE FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY AND MAY DIFFER IN A LIVE SCHOOL’S MIS.
- Expand each item for guidance on preparing the Primary Attendance Data in Bromcom.
- To print this as a checklist, click ‘Collapse All’ (button on the right), then right-click the page and select ‘Print’.
- To print this as a full guide, click ‘Expand All’, then right-click the page and select ‘Print’.
- This guide should be used alongside DfE free breakfast clubs guidance for schools and trusts.
Before breakfast club attendance can be recorded or a club can be identified as the DfE-funded breakfast club, the breakfast club functionality must be enabled.
Navigate to Config > Administration > Characteristics.
Tick Enable DfE funded Free Breakfast Club.
Important: Once this setting has been enabled, it cannot be removed. Contact Support via the usual channels if the setting needs to be removed.
Enter the programme Start Date and select Save.
Note: For schools joining the programme from September, enter the start date of the Autumn Term.
The statutory breakfast club attendance codes are system generated and cannot be amended. The display colour assigned to each code can be configured to make attendance marks easier to identify when recording and reviewing attendance.
Navigate to Config > Attendance > Breakfast Club Attendance Codes.
Ensure the relevant academic year is selected, select the required attendance code, and click Edit.
Select the required display colour from the dropdown, then click Save.
The configured colours are then displayed when recording and reviewing breakfast club attendance.
If the school’s breakfast club is managed through Clubs & Trips, the relevant club can be identified as the DfE-funded breakfast club. The club can then be used to select members when recording breakfast club attendance via Manage Breakfast Club Attendance.
Note: The club Payment Type must be Running Balance or Free.
Navigate to Groups > Group Type = Clubs & Trips.
Create a new club and complete the required club details, or open the relevant existing club.
Within the Additional Group Details panel, select the DfE funded breakfast club option, then click Save.
Note: Only one club can be identified as the DfE-funded breakfast club at any time. Attempting to identify a second club displays a warning message and prevents the change from being saved.
Ensure the relevant charges are associated with the club.
Important: If existing breakfast club bookings were created before the charges were reduced and/or made free, the bookings will need to be cancelled and rebooked.
For more information on creating clubs, see How to Create a Club or Trip.
Bulk Breakfast Club Attendance can be used to record free breakfast club attendance for multiple students.
Navigate to Modules > Attendance > Bulk Breakfast Club Attendance.
Select the required date range and how the students should be identified:
- Student – allows individual students to be selected using the Student Selector.
- Group – applies attendance marks to students whose group membership overlaps the selected date range.
- Whole School – applies attendance marks to all on-roll students within the selected date range.
Note: Select specific days within the date range using the day tick boxes.
Select the required Breakfast Club Code from the dropdown, then select Apply to save the attendance marks.
Note: The recorded marks are visible via the Breakfast Club tab within the Student Record.
Manage Breakfast Club Attendance can be used to record or amend attendance for individual students.
Navigate to Modules > Attendance > Manage Breakfast Club Attendance.
Select the required date or week range.
The students available for attendance recording depend on whether a DfE-funded breakfast club has been identified in Clubs & Trips.
- If a DfE-funded breakfast club has been identified:
- Select Apply, then the page automatically displays all students with an active membership of the designated breakfast club for the selected date.
- If a DfE-funded breakfast club has not been identified:
- Select the blue magnifying glass to open the Student Selector, select the students for whom breakfast club attendance needs to be recorded, then select Apply.
Enter Attendance Marks
Select the cells to be updated using one of the following options:
- Individual Cell: Update a single student’s attendance for a specific date.
- Student Name: Highlight all attendance cells for the student across the displayed date range.
- Date Column Header: Highlight all attendance cells for the selected date.
Enter the required attendance code by manually entering the numeric values 0–7, or using the dropdown menu.
Note: Manually entering 0 records code FBC0, while entering 1 records code FBC1, and so on.
Comments can be entered by selecting the required cell(s), then selecting Add Comment.
If any mistakes have been made before saving, select Cancel to discard the changes. Otherwise, select Save to update the attendance records.
Note: Use the Previous Week and Next Week arrows to move between weeks. Ensure Save is selected before navigating to another week.
Breakfast club attendance can be viewed and analysed from the student’s Breakfast Club page within the Student Record.
Navigate to Students > View Student Details > Breakfast Club.
The Attendance for Breakfast Club panel displays attendance marks for the selected date range.
Note: The current academic year is selected by default.
Hover over an attendance mark to display its full description.
Use the available grid actions to copy, export or print the attendance information.
The Analysis by Breakfast Club panel provides a summary of the selected student’s breakfast club attendance, including the number and percentage of sessions recorded for each attendance mark.
Note: Attendance recorded before the configured Free Breakfast Club Start Date is excluded from the attendance grid and analysis.
Breakfast club information is available as data items within Quick Reports.
Navigate to Reports > Quick Report > Create New Quick Report.
Data items can be added from the following domains:
- Club Details – select Is Funded Breakfast Club to identify the club designated as the DfE-funded breakfast club.
- Student Attendance Breakfast Club – select the required student attendance information, including student details, attendance date, weekday, attendance mark and attendance comment.
- Breakfast Club Marks – select the required attendance code information, including the mark description, mark meaning, whether the student was physically present, and the code start and end dates.