Holiday Activities and Food Programme Models of delivery

School based provision delivered by the school

Delivered by school staff on school site, open to all children in the area.

Pros:
  • Benefits for children and families (see below)
  • Can target vulnerable children to offer provision too.
  • Staff likely to have existing relationships with children.
  • Fewer overheads
  • Gives school staff the opportunity to earn additional income (particularly impactful for teaching assistants) see examples below.
  • Knowledge of SEND children.
Cons:
  • Requires leadership and engagement.
  • Less likely to be financially viable in smaller school.

School based provision delivered by a private provider

Private provider rents school space to deliver the programme, operated and delivered by staff employed by private provider.

Pros:
  • Benefits for children and families
  • Frees up leadership capacity in school / admin and business burdens.
  • Maintains and grows local provider market.
  • Income generation / School can charge rent (see below)
  • LA can share monitoring reports and compliance documentation if requested.
  • A private provider can be brokered by the LA for your approval.
Cons:
  • School has less oversite of provision.
  • Not all providers are Ofsted registered (therefore can’t offer additional hours)

Cluster hub model (on or off school site)

LA co-ordinates cluster / hub model between schools and or in community buildings

Pros:
  • Benefits for children and families (see below)
  • Picks up families were there may be low level demand.
  • Potential to collaborate and share resources / staff.
Cons:
  • Staff less likely to have existing relationships with children.
  • May require travel for parents.

Childminders

Provision delivered by Childminders, signposted to parents by LA and schools. Could be a group of childminders working together on a single /community site.

Pros:
  • Benefits for children and families (see below)
  • Continuation of care
  • Lower ratios
  • Are Ofsted registered.
  • Maybe available to offer additional hours to families at a cost (as Ofsted registered will be able to use Tax credits)

Additional information

Benefits to families Data gathered in Summer 2023
Parents Feedback
  • 67% of parents said that HAF helped their child eat more healthily over the holidays.
  • 99% of parents said that HAF helped their child be more active over the holidays.
  • 99% of parents said that HAF helped their child socialise in a safe environment.
  • 98% of parents said that HAF helped their child have better mental health over the holidays.
  • 99.3% of parents were very satisfied or satisfied with the HAF provision.
Children's Feedback
  • The leading reason for a child attending an activity was because they had been before and enjoyed themselves.
  • 79% of children said they ate the food provided.
  • 77% said they thought they ate more healthily over the holidays due to HAF.
  • 90% of children said they made new friends at the HAF camp they attended.
  • 92% of children said HAF made them more active over the holidays.
  • 80% of children said they would come back again and 18% said maybe.
Income generation for schools approximately £400 for a 4-day week of 4 hours per day – providers would need access to toilets, outdoor area, main area with preferable access for parents to drop and collect children easily. (Small kitchen space is preferable)
A few school provisions for holiday activities and food programme are delivered by physical education leads within the school as a side line business, this is due to the elements of delivery very much being part of keeping children physically active. However, there is a need to ensure that other elements of the programme are in place to provide children with a broad stimulating offering enriching activities. In this example the business also employs on a zero-hour staff from the school to support the programme.