How to run a HAF holiday club in England

Use the current HAF eligibility rules

From September 2026, HAF continues to cover children who qualify for targeted free school meals. The wider free-school-meal offer for Universal Credit households does not automatically give every child a HAF place. Some children who kept free school meals under earlier protection rules may no longer qualify for HAF. A free lunch under the universal infant scheme does not qualify a child on its own.

Councils can use a limited share of HAF funding for other children who could benefit. Each council sets its own criteria for these places. A provider should therefore use its council’s agreed decision route rather than promise a place based on a parent saying their child receives a free lunch. Do not rely only on an unchecked statement from a parent that their child qualifies. ^[1]

Agree the provider offer with your council

Councils run the programme locally and check the organisations applying to provide it. Ask the local HAF team how to apply, which holidays and areas need clubs, what evidence they require and whether you can offer paid places alongside funded places. You may be able to offer places paid for by families or other funding too. Keep those separate from places funded by HAF. ^[1]

Your application pack could include the activities, budget, registration decision, safeguarding arrangements, staffing, meals, support for children’s needs and how you will record attendance. Ask for the local payment and cancellation terms in writing before spending money; national guidance is not a promise of a grant to an individual club.

Plan food and activities together

HAF providers must supply at least one meal each day, and food, including snacks, must meet the school food standards. The standards also cover activities that help children learn and enjoy themselves, physical activity, support to take part and safeguarding. Plan the meal as part of the session rather than as an optional extra. ^[1]

National guidance sets out what councils should offer across the year. Agree your own sessions with the council; an individual club does not necessarily have to run every funded week. Check your Ofsted position separately. The medical, allergy and SEND chapter covers planning for individual needs.

Keep bookings and actual attendance distinct

Families need an accessible way to book, help with language where needed and an option that does not require going online. The guidance suggests reminders, waiting lists and following up missed bookings to improve attendance. Councils ask providers for records after each holiday period. ^[1]

Record how the child’s eligibility was confirmed, which sessions were booked, any cancellations and actual attendance. Ask someone to check and correct differences before sending the records. Use the council’s required format and secure way of sharing them. A place reserved is not proof that a child attended. Our attendance register is a starting point. You still need to check that it meets your council’s reporting requirements.

What one programme learned about cancellations

A study of an East Midlands HAF programme in summer 2021 found that families had difficulty changing bookings. This meant unused places could not always be offered to someone else. One provider put the problem this way:

“But when they can't cancel, it then means those places are lost.”

A club provider interviewed for the study. ^[2]

The study covered one programme during the pandemic. It does not tell us how often children miss sessions across the country.

Our suggested booking check:

1. Test whether a parent can cancel one session without losing the others.
2. Provide an accessible contact route for people who cannot use the online process.
3. Confirm who can release a place and offer it to the next eligible family.
4. Keep bookings, cancellations and actual attendance separate in your register.
5. Review missed sessions with families and follow the council’s agreed process.

Make schools part of your communication plan

In the same study, 59% of parents who responded heard about the programme through their child’s school or teachers. 18.5% heard through social media. This suggests schools could be a useful way to reach families. It is a finding from one local programme, not a guarantee about which publicity will work best for your club. ^[2]

Our suggested school information pack: a short description of the activities and age range, dates and session times, available support, the council-approved eligibility route, booking instructions and a contact for help. Agree a distribution date before the school closes, and ask which details families commonly find unclear. Check the current HAF eligibility rules when preparing the message.