On 27 October 2021 the government announced a further investment of over £200m per year over the next three financial years for the holiday activities and food programme
Who is the programme for?
The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme provision is for school aged children from reception to Year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related free school meals. Benefits-related free school meals (FSM) are available to pupils if their parents are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits who have had a claim verified by their school or local authority.
Overall, local authorities are expected to offer the equivalent of six weeks’ holiday provision to eligible children.
Over Easter:
the DfE expect that all participating children should benefit from at least week of face-to-face provision at Easter, which should be for a minimum of four days;
for most children, each day over Easter should consist of at least four hours of provision;the local authority should ensure that provision is tailored to need.
Over summer:
for local authorities that have a summer holiday that spans six full calendar weeks, participating children should be offered face-to-face provision for at least four these weeks, covering a minimum of 16 days;
for local authorities that have a summer holiday that is less than six full calendar weeks, participating children should be offered at least three weeks of face-to-face provision, covering a minimum of 12 days;
if only three weeks are offered in summer, these local authorities are expected to offer an additional week during a half-term holiday period (see below), so that their overall provision reaches six weeks across the year;
for most children, each day during summer should consist of at least four hours of provision, but the local authority should ensure that provision is tailored to need.
Over Christmas:
the DfE expect that all participating children should benefit from a week of support which covers a minimum of four days;
as in 2021, the DfE’s preference is for at least four days of face-to-face provision; however, where this is not possible, it should consist of at least two days of face-to-face provision complemented by at least two days of HAF support which can be provided in the form of high-quality food hampers and activity packs;
for most children, each day of face-to-face provision at Christmas should consist of at least four hours but the local authority should ensure that provision is tailored to need.
The DfE know that many areas will continue to provide a HAF programme that runs for more hours, days and weeks than its minimum expectation, and the DfE encourages them to continue to do this.
Food provision
Providers must provide at least one meal a day (breakfast, lunch or tea) and all food provided at the holiday club (including snacks) must meet school food standards. The DfE’s expectation is that the majority of food served by providers should be hot; however, it acknowledges that there will be occasions when this is not possible and cold food should be used where appropriate.
The DfE know that this aspect of the programme, which overlaps with nutritional and food education, can be challenging, and it encouragse local authorities to adequately plan and prepare for this, including engaging with experts and partners as appropriate. All food provided as part of the programme must:
take into account any religious or cultural requirements relating to food.
Enrichment activities
Holiday clubs must provide fun and enriching activities that provide children with opportunities to:
develop new skills or knowledge;
consolidate existing skills and knowledge;
try out new experiences;
have fun and socialise.
This could include, but is not limited to:
physical activities, for example football, swimming, table tennis or cricket;
creative activities, for example putting on a play, junk modelling or drumming workshops;
experiences, for example a nature walk or visiting a city farm;
free play, for example fun and freedom to relax and enjoy themselves.
Physical activities
Holiday clubs must provide activities that meet the physical activity guidelines on a daily basis. In line with these guidelines the DfE expects that all children and young people participating in the HAF programme should:
engage in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for an average of at least 60 minutes per day. This does not have to be in the form of a structured activity session – it can include active travel, free play and sports;
engage in a variety of types and intensities of physical activity in order to develop movement skills, muscular fitness and bone strength;
aim to minimise the amount of time spent being sedentary, and when physically possible should break up long periods of not moving with at least light physical activity.
Nutritional education
Providers must include an element of nutritional education each day aimed at improving the knowledge and awareness of healthy eating for children. These do not need to be formal learning activities and could, for example, include activities such as:
getting children involved in food preparation and cooking;
growing fruit and vegetables;
taste tests;
discussing food and nutrition;
integrating learning about food and nutrition into other activities.
Food education for families and carers
The DfEexpect HAF providers to make available weekly training and advice sessions for parents, carers or other family members; these should provide advice on how to source, prepare and cook nutritious and low-cost food. This could be combined with the nutritional education aspect of the programme – for example, by inviting children and their families to prepare and eat a meal together.
Signposting and referrals
HAF providers should be able to provide information, signposting or referrals to other services and support that would benefit the children who attend their provision and their families. This could include sessions provided by:
Citizen’s Advice;
school nurses, dentists or other healthcare practitioners;
family support services or children’s services;
housing support officers;
Jobcentre Plus;
organisations providing financial education;
early years and childcare, including help to pay for childcare (such as tax-free childcare).
Policies and procedures
There are a wide variety of organisations and individuals involved in the delivery of the holiday activities and food programme including, but not limited to:
schools;
colleges;
nurseries;
private providers;
charities;
youth clubs;
community groups.
All these groups must be able to demonstrate that they have in place relevant and appropriate policies and procedures for:
safeguarding – including the recruitment of staff and volunteers;
health and safety;
relevant insurance policies;
accessibility and inclusiveness.
To read the full guidance – which includes holiday clubs in school settings, tailored provision and local co-ordination by authorities – click here.
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