A study of 5,000 nine to 11-years-olds carried out by Cardiff University reveals the first authoritative link between eating breakfast and academic performance.

Children who eat breakfast before school are twice as likely to score highly in tests and assessments at 11 than those who start learning on an empty stomach, a research shows.

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.

Hannah Littlecott, lead author of the study, said: “While breakfast consumption has been consistently associated with general health outcomes and acute measures of concentration and cognitive function, evidence regarding links to concrete educational outcomes has until now been unclear. This study therefore 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”.

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