Holidays Are Fun (HAF) programme

The Holidays Are Fun (HAF) programme, provides a range of enriching activities and healthy meals to children from low-income families in the three main holidays at Easter, Summer and Christmas. We offer some additional holiday activities with healthy meals in the February half-term holiday.

Children attending an activity session will receive at least one meal. These meals meet school food standards and where possible are served hot. Many providers offer more than one meal or snacks throughout the day. Providers are required to meet dietary, cultural and other food requirements which they are informed of at the booking stage.

Funded by the Department for Education (DfE), the HAF programme is designed specifically to support families who are eligible for benefits related Free School Meals (FSM) and the programme is open to eligible children from reception to year 11 (inclusive).

There are a limited number of free places available for children and young people who meet wider criteria. These spaces are available on a first served basis.

Please note that activities are for eligible children and young people only unless otherwise stated. Parents and carers are not permitted to stay with their children and young people during child only activity sessions for safeguarding reasons.

Contact the HAF team

Complete a HAF call back request

Free school meals (FSM)

All children from reception to year two receive a free school meal (FSM) through the universal infant FSM scheme. The HAF programme is aimed at children whose parents apply for FSM based on their income and any benefits they receive. These free school meals are known as benefits-related FSM. Children can receive benefits-related FSM up to year 11.

Benefits-related free school meals (FSM)

Your child is likely to be eligible for benefits-related FSM if you are a parent in receipt of any of the benefits in the following list:

• income support
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you're not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
• Universal Credit (your household income must be less than £7,400 a year after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Check if you are eligible for free school meals on our free school meals page.

Who can access the programme?

Core eligibility

As specified by the DfE who fund the programme, any child from reception to year 11 who receives benefits-related FSM is automatically eligible for the programme and can book a place. Nursery aged children are not able to access the programme.

Wider eligibility

Local authorities have discretion to use some of their funding to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children and young people who are not in receipt of benefits related free school meals. This wider eligibility differs between localities. In Stockton-on-Tees the wider eligibility currently includes:

• children and young people from low-income households who are not in receipt of benefits-related FSM, but who do receive Universal Credit
• looked after children
• children and young people supported by Children's Services
• young carers

There are limits to how many non-FSM children and young people can access the HAF programme, to ensure that the focus of the programme remains on the Department for Education's key audience: children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals. We appreciate that this is disappointing if you are not eligible. For information on what other support is available please take a look at our Here to Help Hub page.

4 to 5 year olds

Children who are aged 4 who attend a nursery or pre-school are not eligible for the HAF programme. Eligible children aged 4 years and over must be in full-time education and have started school in reception class (or equivalent).

Accessing a discretionary space

Children and young people who meet the wider eligibility criteria can be referred onto the programme by a professional they're working with, for example a social worker, help and support worker, or youth worker. Please complete our referral form if you're referring a child. Please note referrals cannot be made directly by a family member or carer.

If you are in financial difficulty or in receipt of universal credit, please complete a HAF call back request to request a discretionary place for the relevant holiday period.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council makes the final decision on which children and young people should benefit from the flexible funding element of the HAF programme.

Activities

The programme offers a wide range of activities including:

• martial arts
• sports and games
• arts and crafts
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) specific sessions

Booking a HAF space

The booking system for HAF activities will usually open two weeks prior to the holiday period. You can look for activities by location and make bookings online.

During booking you will be asked about any dietary, religious, SEND or other requirements that providers should know about. Please provide detailed information so providers can support your child or children during sessions. If adequate information is not shared, providers cannot ensure the correct support is in place.

If you would like to speak to the HAF team about your child's needs or would like to discuss suitable provision, please complete a complete a HAF call back request.

Bookings are allocated on a first come first served basis and some activities are very popular. If an activity is full, you can contact the HAF team to add your child's name to a waiting list for any future cancellations.

Cancellations

HAF has limited places and funding. If your child can no longer attend the activities you have booked, bookings should be cancelled using the information in your confirmation email, or by contacting the HAF team as soon as possible so the space can be made available to someone else. Non-attendance prevents other children accessing spaces and repeated non-attendance may lead to future bookings being cancelled.

Paid spaces

Some of our HAF providers are able to offer paid spaces as well as funded HAF spaces. You will find details of paid spaces on the HAF booking system.

Become a HAF provider

Holidays Are Fun (HAF) Programme Hub

We value the passion, creativity, and commitment of local providers who help us offer high‑quality holiday experiences for children, young people, and families across our borough.

If your organisation can provide fun and enriching holiday activities for children from reception to year 11 then we would love to hear from you.

Although we welcome organisations from across the borough we are particularly interested in receiving applications that target key delivery areas in Stockton North, Thornaby, and Ingleby Barwick, where additional provision is needed to reach families who benefit most from the programme.

Read the HAF programme application guidance before you apply then register for the Holidays Are Fun (HAF) Hub to complete the application form.

Register for the Holidays are Fun (HAF) Hub

If you already have a HAF account you can also log in.

Login to the Holidays Are Fun (HAF) Hub