AN East Lancashire school has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Best Breakfast Club in the North-West as part of cereal manufacturing giant Kellogg’s annual Breakfast Club Awards.

If it wins, St Oswald’s Roman Catholic Primary and Nursery School in Hartley Avenue, Accrington, will receive a £1,000 cash prize plus an invitation to the House of Commons where the celebratory event is held.

Around 45 children attend the breakfast club every morning before class.

The St Oswald's club provides both childcare for parents and a substantial breakfast for all children attending.

It helps the children settle down so they are ready to learn when they go into the classroom.

Headteacher Cath Kippax, from St Oswald’s RC Primary School said: “We are really excited and incredibly proud to be shortlisted in this year’s Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards.

“Writing our entry gave us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fantastic children who attend every morning, not to mention the hard-working staff.

“If we’re lucky enough to win the award for Best Breakfast Club in the North-West we’ll spend the prize money on new resources for the children, and to purchase food for a grab and go breakfast, especially as sometimes children arrive after the club has closed.

"We would like to be able to stock cereal bars so children can take them discreetly when they are needed.”

This year the Kelloggs is celebrating 25 years since launching its Breakfast Club Programme in 1998.

The latest research for the firm found nearly four in 10 teachers across the UK claim to see children coming to school hungry every day, with 72 per cent believing the number of children attending has risen.

Heather Murphy, Kellogg’s corporate social responsibility manager for the UK, said: “Breakfast clubs like the one St Oswald’s RC Primary School runs play a vital role in society."

A specialist panel of judges will now assess all 48 shortlisted entries across the UK and the winners will be announced later this month.