HAVING breakfast at school with their friends has got the thumbs up from Bolton children.

An ambitious £680 million plan to extend breakfast and after-school clubs was announced by the government on Monday.

Education secretary Ruth Kelly announced a £680 million programme to enable schoools to open their doors at 8am and close at 6pm.

She said that by 2010 all children under 14 should have the option of joining breakfast and after-school clubs.

Under the proposal, designed to appeal to working parents, children will be able to turn up early for breakfast and stay late playing sport or taking part in other activities.

Under the plans, Bolton will receive £2,662,200 over the next three years to run the scheme.

Eatock Primary School, Daisy Hill, has been operating before and after-school clubs for the past five years, both of which are full with 35 children.

But the headteacher says she fears children may become "institutionalised".

Naomi Richardson said: "There are positive benefits, but I am concerned that children are already spending too much time at school 8am until 6pm is a very long day."

St Bede's CE Primary in Morris Green started operating a breakfast club five years ago, after being approached by a private company, but took over the running itself last September.

Amanda Foster, who runs the club, said: "We have parents who need to be at work at 8am, and the children enjoy the atmosphere here. But more importantly, they get a good breakfast which helps them concentrate and teachers benefit as a result."

Around 20 children attend the breakfast club, which opens from 7.30am to 8.50am. The after-school club runs from 3.15 until 5pm, and is fully booked with 44 children. Charges range from £2 to £5 a day for the clubs. After-school activities include outdoor and indoor games as well as reading and painting.

Kyle Crossley, aged seven, said: "Sometimes I had just ten seconds to eat my breakfast, and would sometimes even skip because I was in a rush. Now I have breakfast everyday and I love it."

Jade Thompson, aged nine, and seven year-old Rachel Peacock said the morning and afternoon clubs allowed them to spend more time with their friends.

Headteacher Jack Hatch dismissed concerns that the facility was just a glorified baby-sitting service.

He said: "Schools may want to offer the new service or may not have the facilities. Its not for everybody, but for those that want it, it is affordable and good."

At Johnson Fold Primary, school volunteers arrive around 8am for the 8.30am breakfast of cereal, toast and fruit juices provided for 30 to 40 pupils.

Headmaster Paul Smith said it had been a great success, leading to better school work and attendance and a good social atmosphere.

Warburtons Bakery provides free loaves, fellow bakers Greggs provide some funding and they have managed to obtain other donations.

For the past 20 years, the school has also run a Monday youth club from 5 to 7pm and another after-school session on Friday from 3 to 5pm.

Mr Smith said teachers could not manage any more duties. But he welcomed "Kelly Hours" generally as a good idea which could be operated with enough volunteers or outside paid sources.