Information for providers

The Department for Education (DfE) funded Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme aims to support children to eat more healthily, be more active over the school holidays and have a greater knowledge of health and nutrition as well as be more engaged with school and other local services.

Further detail about what the HAF programme is and why it was created can be found here. Information for providers about the HAF programme is set out below.

 

Providers for HAF 2024

If you are a provide and would like to be part of the HAF programme in 2024, please complete the expression of interest form.

Please note that applications for 2023 are now closed. 

 

Who is this programme for?

Priority places will be given to:

• School aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who are eligible for and receiving benefit related free school meals, and their families.

Extended Eligibility Criteria

Providers can choose to use up to 15% of their funding towards funding or subsidising the costs of places for children who are not in receipt of benefits-related Free School Meals but who meet the extended eligibility criteria.

This includes:

• children assessed by the local authority as being in need, at risk or vulnerable (for example, children on a Child Protection Plan, Children in Need or on an Early Help plan)
• young carers
• children in care or children who have previously been in care
• children with an EHC (education, health and care) plan
• children who have low attendance rates at school or who are at risk of exclusion
• children living in areas of high deprivation or from low-income households who are not in receipt of free school meals
• children in transition phases between nursery and primary school or primary and secondary school
• Friend of a free school meal-eligible child if it encourages that child to attend

Please note that our providers don’t have to give places to the above children and young people. If they do, they can choose to charge for these places, at a very subsidised rate.

 

What activities are eligible for funding and who can get involved?

There are lots of different activities that are eligible for the funding. For example:

• A selection of sports (including rugby, football, netball)
• Forest school/outdoor activities such as den building, cooking on an open fire
• Arts and crafts
• Music, drama and dance
• Scooting and skateboarding
• Orienteering and out-ward bound activities
• Cooking classes and activities
• Food boxes and activity boxes

Similarly, a range of providers can sign up to deliver these activities. The following are some examples of the types of providers that can get involved with the HAF programme:

• Childminders
• Schools (infant, junior and secondary)
• Church groups
• Food banks
• Food providers and hospitality services
• Forest schools
• Early Years (nurseries, pre-schools)
• Special Needs providers
• Youth groups
• Sports Clubs
• Farms
• Youth hostels and out-ward bound providers

 

HAF standards framework

The standards we expect for providers of the Holiday and Activity Food programme are available here.

Providers should also read the full guidance set out on the government website.

 

Contact information

If you have any queries, please email haf@devon.gov.uk.