Spring 2026 will be the next HAF holiday, running from Monday 30 March to Friday 10 April.
Funded by the DfE, HAF provides a programme of free activities during the school Easter, summer, and winter holidays, for people who receive benefits-related free school meals. Activities include sports, arts, music, and more.
Children and young people also receive a free balanced meal and snacks as part of their day.
There are no programmes during the half-term school holidays.
Watch our film below from a Brighton Table Tennis Club HAF holiday camp to get an idea of what HAF has to offer.
To be the first to be updated on HAF activity, send an email to HAF@brighton-hove.gov.uk to request to be added to our distribution list.
If you want us to stop sending you emails, ask and we'll delete your contact details from the distribution list.
HAF programmes are also running in East and West Sussex, with information available here:
HAF is for children and young people in Reception to Year 11 who receive benefits-related free school meals.
Apply for benefits-related free school meals.
Benefits-related free school meals are different from universal infant free school meals. Universal infant free school meals are not means-tested and provide free meals to all pupils in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2.
Children must have also started attending school.
There are no public discretionary HAF places. Benefits-related free school meals is the only eligibility criteria openly used in Brighton & Hove.
All HAF providers are required to demonstrate they meet the programme’s framework of standards as laid out by the Department for Education.
Providers are further supported to meet these standards through training and quality assurance visits.
We encourage those requesting a booking for a child with SEND to do this as soon as possible. We also encourage you to contact the provider to clarify what support would be required to fully integrate the child. All HAF providers are expected to make all reasonable adjustments. Failing to disclose information could lead to the placement breaking down.
Find out about inclusion funding for disabled children or those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This funding can provide additional support for children with an Education and Health Care Plan to attend Ofsted-registered childcare and HAF activities.
An alternative is to look at options available through the heavily subsidised Brighton & Hove SEND Short Break and School Activities Programme. The programme is for children and young people aged 4 years (Reception) to 25 years with SEND.
Learn more about the programme, or see what's available to book.
If you have any questions about SEND Short Breaks, send an email to Short.Breaks@Brighton-Hove.gov.uk.
We know the school holidays can be expensive for some families and act as a pressure point. Below are some links that might help:
Best Start Family Hubs support families in Brighton & Hove with children aged 0 to 19. Young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) can access our services up to age 25. We deliver services from various locations across Brighton & Hove.
If you have questions about Brighton & Hove HAF or need support with the booking tool, send an email to haf@brighton-hove.gov.uk.
If you're an activity or food provider interested in being part of Brighton & Hove’s HAF programme, send an email to haf@brighton-hove.gov.uk. We'll add you to our distribution list to keep you informed of future funding opportunities.
For information for schools, visit the schools’ portal on BEEM.