What is HAF?

Since 2018, the holiday activities and food programme has provided support to children in receipt of free school meals through holiday periods.

Following successful pilots between 2018 and 2020, the programme was rolled out to all upper tier local authorities in 2021.

Research has shown that the school holidays can be pressure points for some families. For some children this can lead to a holiday experience gap, with children from low-income households being:

less likely to access organised out-of-school activities
more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health
more likely to experience social isolation

Our HAF programme is a response to this issue, with evidence showing that free holiday clubs can have a positive impact on children and young people, and that they work best when they:

provide consistent and easily accessible enrichment activities
cover more than just breakfast or lunch
involve children (and parents) in food preparation
use local partnerships and connections, particularly with the voluntary and community organisation sector

THINGS WE DO AT YOUR SPORTS EDUCATION FOR OUR HAF CHILDREN

Safeguarding

Rebecca Scott is the designated DSL and is usually present or immediately contactable. She has completed appropriate training for this role and is lead ELSA at a local primary school.

Hayley Jones a qualified social worker also helps at holiday club and is available for advice and support regarding our procedures and policies.

Nutritional Education

The programme includes consistent learning opportunities through games, activities and handling of food. This summer we have a Carousel of healthy activities which takes place every day before lunch and includes healthy eating games, education on fruits, vegs and food groups. We will also look at food labels and the Eatwell plate. Activities promoting the importance of exercise and learning about the human body will also take place. Other experiments include growing seeds and learning about hygiene.

Provision of Food

This summer the provision of food is overseen by professional chef Neil Draycott, who twice a week invites the children to help prepare their own hot meals. Children and young people have a significant input into the planning, preparation and serving of food.

Mealtimes are social events during which staff act as role models and eat with the children. Table manners are promoted and children do not begin eating until all are ready and remain at the table until all have finished

eating.

Enriching Activities

The activity programme is designed and delivered to a consistently high standard and is intentionally meeting the specific needs of all children. All children are encouraged to be engaged all of the time learning new skills and having fun. Recognizing that not all children are interested in all things, we offer 7-activities providing a diverse and inclusive provision.

The programme is varied encompassing a variety of team sports and individual sports traditional sports and also alternative exercise to encourage children to enjoy being physically active. Such activities as the disco dome and air track are highly energetic nut not perceived as being sport!

Before games such as Capture the Flag or sports such as dodgeball, children are given the opportunity to decide and agree rules etc thus promoting ownership and engagement.

Achievements are rewarded regularly with prizes and all children receive a certificate for completing the Golden Mile.

Physical Activities

The activity programme embeds the Chief Medical Officers recommendations for children aged 5-18 years and all children are consistently engaging in more than 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Children not only take part but are learning about the importance of being active and how their bodies work.

Barriers to participation are removed by providing a diverse range of activities from traditional sports (gymnastics, trampoline, football, dodgeball, funfit circuits etc) to non-sport-specific physical activities such as yoga, bikes and scooters, den building, ninja warriors, circus tricks, air-track and disco dome. Fun-fit challenges provide educational opportunities to learn about the body and scavenger hunts for a skeleton and themed-led chalk drawings further educate children to understand how their bodies work.

Parents are advised of local clubs and signposted to community activities.

Signposting and Referals

Staff know how to refer families if they are asked for help.

In the newsletter handed out at the end of each Holiday Club, sign posts are included towards local help projects and food banks e.g Romsey food bank in Budds Lane.

Hayley Jones a qualified social worker helps at holiday club and is available for advice and support. Hayley is also experienced in therapeutic parenting and trauma and attachment-based interventions.