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Schools can play a significant role in signposting and advertising the HAF Programme to their pupils.
This can be achieved by:
If your school is interested in being a HAF Programme partner and offering a funded holiday club for your children, please email the HAF Programme team to discuss the application process, funding and support. More information about the requirements of being a HAF Programme partner can be found on HAF Information for Partners and Potential Partners.
In this recorded bitesize session 'Delivering HAF in schools', Childcare Works explores HAF Programme delivery from a school's perspective. This session looks at two case studies - one small rural Lincolnshire primary school and a contrasting large urban secondary school in Birmingham. Colleagues explain why they chose to get involved with the programme and the delivery models they have developed to meet the needs of individuals and the wider school community alongside the HAF Programme. They reflect on some of the initial challenges, solutions and highlight top tips for schools and coordinators for HAF Programme delivery in 2023/24.
Schools can provide a venue for HAF provision
Schools can rent their school facilities to HAF providers. If a school would like to make their site available over the holidays for a HAF Programme partner to deliver from and would like to discuss how to do this, please email the HAF Programme team.
In Kent, we use the HolidayActivity HAF Programme E-voucher platform to enable families to demonstrate eligibility to providers, as this reduces burdens for schools, families and HAF Programmes. This platform also enables families to search for HAF Programme partners in their local area.
HolidayActivities
This platform has been designed and built to support the delivery of HAF provision with guidance for parents, providers and schools.
If you are new to this system, please follow the link to I'm a school – Holiday Activities and HolidayActivities - how it works for schools.
For schools who issue the HAF Programme E-vouchers themselves to eligible free school meals families please follow the link to HolidayActivities - login to your schools account. Schools now have the option to automate the sending of E-vouchers to their eligible families.
For queries about using the E-vouchers please email [email protected]
To support parents in using their E-voucher, please follow the link to the HolidayActivities - parent support and guidance
School holidays can be a challenging time for families reliant on free school meals. Many children face food insecurity and a lack of structured, positive activities, leading to boredom and potential involvement in anti-social behaviour. The HAF programme presented a unique opportunity to address these challenges by providing a safe space where children could enjoy healthy meals, stay active, and engage with their peers.
We have several children who currently do NOT attend school, full time yet thrived throughout the four days on our HAF programme.
We continue to feedback to schools whereby we are supporting their vulnerable families.
This Easter we had a young lady who through attending the HAF programme has meant we have been able to get her to a place where she is better able to regulate her emotions and ready to return to school.
The headteacher at Westcourt informed us of how grateful she is that we are running the club saying that so many of her families are in desperate need. She mentioned one family in particular who have three children who come to us every club who she knows would otherwise struggle at home in a very crowded and uncomfortable situation. She expressed her thanks that they are with us, having a hot meal and being cared for. The three children absolutely love coming to us, they always get involved in all the activities, come and talk to the adults lots and eat lots of our homemade food.
My two sons attend The Stones Community Trust club aged five and six one of which has autism and really struggles when he has to transition from holidays back to school and vice versa so the club allows him to have a routine and avoid any major disruption or upset. I know I can relax as the staff members who run it are teachers he knows and are familiar with.
We had a young boy who has an EHCP and normally struggles in school because of his additional needs. In our environment he really flourished.
We worked with social services to support a child who struggles to attend school to join a session. He exceeded expectations and stayed for over two hours.
