Information for Schools

The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, known locally in Birmingham as ‘Bring it on Brum!’, provides support to children from low-income families during the Easter, Summer and Christmas holiday periods.

Research has shown that the school holidays can be pressure points for some families. For some children that can lead to a holiday experience gap. Children from low-income households are more likely to experience food insecurity and social isolation, miss out on physical activity and enriching experiences and fall behind in development and well-being.

The HAF programme is a direct response to this, providing free nutritious meals, enriching activities and safe environments for eligible children, benefiting their health, wellbeing and learning. Find out more

Who is the programme for?

The HAF programme funding is primarily for school aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits related FSMs.

Benefits related FSMs are available to pupils if their parents are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits and have a claim verified by their school or local authority.

Schools are asked to ensure that all eligible pupils and their families are made aware of their right to access funded holiday club spaces through the holiday activity and food programme. Though this does not mean we expect all to attend, as the provision is voluntary.

Other children and families

As in previous years, schools have discretion to offer up to 15% of their eligibility to provide free or subsidised holiday club places for children who are not in receipt of benefits related FSMs but who they believe could benefit from HAF such as vulnerable children, children with low school attendance etc

Schools are not required to seek written approval from the Department for Education (DfE) for the use of this 15% flexibility.