Decision details

Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) Grant Acceptance

Decision Maker: Executive Member for Education, Learning & Skills

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: Yes

Purpose:

To seek Executive Member approval to accept a grant in the sum of £1,410,570 from the Department for Education to deliver the national Holiday Activities & Food Programme (HAF) for North Yorkshire in 2024/25.

The HAF grant is offered to all upper tier authorities in England to provide a programme of free holiday activities and food during the main school holiday periods of Easter, Summer and Christmas. Free places are offered to all ‘means tested free school meal’ eligible school age children. Provision should be delivered in line with the grant criteria of:

Easter - 4 hours per day for 4 days

Summer – 4 hours per day for 16 days

Christmas – 4 hours per day for 4 days

Local Authorities have flexibility regarding how the provision is delivered and in North Yorkshire the programme is delivered as a consortia between the Council and local community based providers.

The grant offer for the 2024/25 is marginally higher that the grant in 2023/24 (£1,378,320). The programme is fully funded by the DfE and no additional costs are incurred by North Yorkshire Council. jack

Decision:

To accept a grant in the sum of £1,410,570 from the Department for Education to deliver the national Holiday Activities & Food Programme (HAF) for North Yorkshire in 2024/25.

Reasons for the decision:

The HAF grant is offered by the Department for Education to all upper tier authorities in England for the purpose of providing a programme of holiday activities and food for school age children, including those with Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) during the main school holiday periods of Easter, Summer and Christmas. Free places are offered to all means tested free school meal eligible school age children up to the age of 16. The programme should be inclusive and accessible and will include non-subsidised fee paying places.

The grant offer for 2024/25 is £1,410,570. This is marginally higher than the grant received in 2023/24 (£1,378,320).

Publication date: 20/03/2024

Date of decision: 19/03/2024

Effective from: 27/03/2024

Accompanying Documents: