HAF Annual Report 2025/2026
The London Borough of Sutton - Holiday Activities and Food Programme Annual Report 2025/2026
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Read our full Annual Report for the London Borough of Sutton’s HAF Programme 2025/2026 including our full list of commissioned providers for the year (External Link).
1. Introduction
This report provides an overview of the London Borough of Sutton's Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme for 2025/2026, delivered with funding from the Department for Education (DfE). Across the Spring, Summer and Winter school holidays, the programme provided children and young people with access to enriching activities, nutritious meals, and opportunities to develop new skills, build confidence, and create lasting memories during the times they need it most.
The 2025/206 programme year marked another period of growth and development for Sutton HAF. Against a backdrop of increasing financial pressures on families and rising food insecurity, the programme continued to play a vital role in supporting children and young people across the borough.
Working in partnership with schools, commissioned providers, council services, health partners, and community organisations, we delivered a diverse programme of sports, arts, educational workshops, outdoor experiences, day trips, and creative activities. At the heart of everything we do is a shared commitment to supporting the whole child - helping every child to feel safe, valued, healthy, and inspired to reach their full potential, regardless of their background or circumstances.
Alongside celebrating the programme's achievements, this report reflects honestly on the challenges experienced throughout the year and the lessons learned across all three delivery periods. These insights have informed a clear set of priorities for 2026/2027, ensuring we continue to strengthen the programme, improve accessibility, and deliver the best possible outcomes for Sutton's children and families.
We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved during 2025 and would like to thank every provider, school, partner organisation, council service, and volunteer whose commitment and collaboration made the programme possible. Most importantly, we thank the children, young people, and families of Sutton for embracing the programme with such enthusiasm and energy - they are, and always will be, at the heart of everything we do.
We look forward to building on this year's successes and continuing to ensure that every eligible child in Sutton has access to safe, inclusive, enriching, and fulfilling holiday experiences.
2. Background
The London Borough of Sutton is a diverse borough with both urban and suburban settings with a population of 214,525 (ONS 2024)(1). Despite its relatively affluent appearance, the area experiences pockets of deprivation and low-income households, which affect resident well-being, especially for children and young people.
Like much of the UK, Sutton is still navigating the lasting impact of the pandemic and continued pressures from the cost of living crisis, with many families requiring support. Sutton’s child population (ages 0–17) is 48,463 with around 13% living in low-income families (2). Approximately 6,808 children were eligible for benefits-related free school meals in 2025, a figure that continues to steadily grow yearly(3). This is consistent with a national trend: around 2.17 million pupils were eligible for free school meals across England in 2024/25, up from 2.09 million the previous year(4).
Holiday periods represent a pressure point for these families - school meals disappear, childcare costs rise, and the structured support of the school day is removed. The DfE funded HAF programme exists precisely to bridge this gap, to support school aged children aged 4 - 16 inclusive who receive benefits- related free school meals by providing access to free enriching activities and nutritious food during the big school holidays.
The adjacent map highlights areas with higher levels of deprivation and FSM eligibility, based on 2023 data. In this context, the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme has played a vital role, supporting the health and well-being of children across Sutton and focusing on areas most in need.
It’s important to note that FSM eligibility numbers fluctuate with each school census, but the overall trend is rising. This ongoing increase underscores the continued need for programmes like HAF to support healthier holidays and connect families with key services.
To further promote inclusivity and engagement, HAF programme terminology was updated, replacing Easter and Christmas with Spring and Winter.
1 ONS 2024 - Population data source: https://www.ons.gov.uk/explore-local-statistics/indicators/population-count [External Link]
2 https://www.cognus.org.uk/about-us/sutton-statistics[Externak Link]
3 School Spring Census Data 2025 - Cognus
3. Department for Education - HAF Programme Overview
Research shows school holidays can create pressure points for some families, resulting in a holiday experience gap. Children from low-income households are:
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Less likely to access organised out-of-school activities
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More likely to experience unhealthy holidays in terms of nutrition and physical health
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More likely to face social isolation
The HAF programme provides valuable benefits. Providers are encouraged to deliver high-quality experiences that ensure children:
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Receive healthy, nutritious meals
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Maintain physical activity
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Enjoy themselves, have fun, and make new friends
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Gain a better understanding of food, nutrition, and health
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Take part in activities that support development and well-being
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Feel safe and supported
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Access appropriate support services
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Return to school engaged and ready to learn
Families can also benefit when their needs are considered in programme planning. This may include:
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Opportunities to take part in sessions, such as cookery classes
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Being signposted to additional support, including health, employment, or education services
Each Local Authority is expected to offer at least 6 weeks of HAF provision to eligible children throughout the year. In Sutton we run the HAF programme in the Easter holidays (4 days), Summer holidays (4 days x 4 weeks), and Christmas holidays (4 days).
Each HAF session/day must be at least 4 hours long. This may be delivered flexibly where appropriate (e.g. when considering the needs of older children of children with SEN /additional needs) .
Programmes must be inclusive and for all.
Standards for holiday provision must meet the Department for Education’s HAF framework of standards which ensure high quality provision is delivered. This entails:
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Food Provision
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Enriching activities
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Physical activities
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Nutritional Education and the promotion of healthy living/lifestyles
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Signposting and referrals and supporting families
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Policies and procedures are in place
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Quality assurance is completed which ensures providers meet the programme standards.
3.1 DfE Funding
For 2025/2026, the London Borough of Sutton were awarded an original grant allocation of £631,780 to deliver the HAF programme in Sutton. The allocation was dependent on the number of children who were eligible for benefits-related free school meals from the school census data.
The total allocation was received upfront and the total spend based on actual expenditure was £631,780 for 2025 HAF programmes (Spring, Summer, and Winter).
It is important to note that Spring HAF 2026 programme delivery was funded through the 2026/2027 grant funding allocation by the DfE and will therefore be reported in the 2026/2027 annual report.
Note:
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Expenditure figures are rounded
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No additional or matched funding was used to support the delivery of the programmes.
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Programme Expenditure: All of the costs of providing free HAF places, including payments to providers, SEN provision, and third parties for services provided.
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*Other Expenditure: Training, transport, external third party marketing costs and promotion including radio advertisements and engagement events to expand reach and uptake.
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Admin spend funds 1 FTE Staff and 0.1 FTE Staff to carry out the administrative and operational aspects of the programme.
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Booking system costs funds the central booking platform to help run the programme and targets eligible families directly through unique vouchers in partnership with schools.
4. Commissioning and Procurement
The London Borough of Sutton commissions HAF provision through a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS). This innovative approach created a more efficient, transparent, and competitive process for sourcing high quality provision from a broad range of local and regional providers.
Providers undergo suitability and safeguarding checks before participating in a series of ‘mini-competitions’ - a structured bidding process for individual programme periods where bids are assessed against quality and cost criteria.
Each mini competition required providers to submit detailed proposals outlining their planned activities, quality of provision, safeguarding practices, and pricing. These bids were scored independently by an evaluation panel against set quality and value-for-money criteria. Successful bids were ranked to ensure the best possible outcomes for children, young people, and families.
Mini competitions were conducted for the full 2025 calendar year and allowed providers to bid for multiple delivery periods, supporting greater contract continuity, provider sustainability and programme familiarity for families and young people.
To ensure geographic and thematic coverage, the 2025 HAF mini competitions were divided into the following delivery Lots:
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Lot 1,4,7 – Sutton North Wards
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Lot 2,5,8 – Sutton South Wards
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Lot 3,6,9 – HAF 13+ (Targeted Provision for 13 - 16 year olds only)
A full list of commissioned providers for the 2025 HAF programme is available in the ‘Provider List’.
A key challenge during Spring 2025 was the delayed confirmation of central government funding, which reduced procurement and mobilisation timescales however the full year was commissioned successfully and for Summer 2025 onwards providers had increased time for planning, recruitment and promotion of provision.
For Winter 2025, our first SEN exclusive provision was commissioned as a trial/pilot for HAF SEN exclusive provision only with a short breaks provider Keen2go.
5. Strategy and Steering Group
Sutton’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme in 2025/2026 was supported by a committed strategy and steering group, ensuring coordinated and effective delivery.
Role of the Steering Group
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Informing needs assessments to keep the programme responsive
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Providing input into commissioning to ensure high-quality, inclusive provision
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Identifying local assets to enhance delivery
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Aligning with wider council initiatives to maximise value
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Reviewing data and offering challenge to support continuous improvement
The group met three times in 2025, bringing together representatives from:
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London Borough of Sutton (LBS): Public Health, Commissioning (Health, Children’s, Education), Education, Short Breaks Team, Policy, Children’s Services, Refugee Resettlement, Early Intervention, Children and Young People’s Disability Team, Cultural Services, Leisure Services, Family Information Services
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Community Partners: Community and Youth Engagement Officers, Sutton Community Action
This multi-agency approach helped ensure the programme addressed local priorities and delivered measurable impact.
HAF Provider Network Forum
The HAF Provider Network Forum continued in 2025, offering a platform for commissioned providers to:
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Collaborate and support each other
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Share feedback with the HAF team to address issues and improve delivery
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Exchange learning and best practices to strengthen provision
Together, the steering group and provider forum provided strong governance and helped maintain the quality and reach of Sutton’s HAF programme.
6. Marketing and Communication
Marketing and communications is a critical element of the HAF programme, to maximise reach and ensure that every eligible family is aware of and can access provision.
Sutton HAF programme under the brand 'Sutton HAF', with a dedicated web page on the Sutton Information Hub www.suttoninformationhub.org.uk/pages/HAF that is maintained year round and provides parents with up to date information on available provision, guidance on eligibility and support, SEN, FAQs, accessing further support and more.
The Sutton HAF Programme is communicated through a range of channels:
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HAF Webpage www.suttoninformationhub.org.uk/pages/HAF
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Eligible families contacted directly and securely through our Central Booking platform ‘HolidayActivities’
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Newsletters and bulletins (Sutton Scene, Education Bulletin, Ambitious for SEND, People Directorate newsletter, MIB, Sutton Parent Carer Forum, Sutton Care Hub)
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Digital billboards: Clear Channel across the borough
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Civic suite and library digital screens
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Schools: Head Teacher Meetings and direct emails
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Physical posters and pull up banners in high footfall locations such as supermarkets, community centres, Citizens Advice Bureau, DWP Job Centre
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Partners: Through our strategy and steering groups and networks
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Local services and council teams (Contact centre, Family Information Service, Family Hubs, Libraries)
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Provider school engagement outreach
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Family Fun engagement event days in Summer 2025 in partnership with local services such as NHS and voluntary sector Community Action Sutton
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Direct reminders to eligible families through automated weekly reminders
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Radio advertising via Global Player (third-party)
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Email reminders to families two weeks prior to programme start
Reaching the Target Cohort
For 2025 programmes, Sutton HAF continued to utilise the HolidayActivities booking platform to support the delivery of the HAF programme. The platform enabled targeting eligible families in receipt of benefits-related free school meals to access and book HAF provision quickly and securely through a digital unique voucher system.
The use of the platform supported efficient unique voucher distribution, reduced administrative burden for schools and the local authority, improved data collection and reporting, and strengthened engagement with families. The digital approach also continued to provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional communication methods such as direct mail outs, enabling resources to be focused on programme delivery, quality assurance and targeted support for eligible children and young people.
Other Children and Families
In line with Department for Education guidance, the London Borough of Sutton may use up to 15% of its Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) funding to offer free or subsidised holiday club places to children not in receipt of benefits-related free school meals, but who are identified as likely to benefit significantly from the programme.
While there is no fixed eligibility list, Sutton prioritises access to these discretionary places for children and young people deemed vulnerable, such as:
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Children who are Looked After
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Young Carers
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Refugees or newly arrived families
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Those facing exceptional hardship or social isolation
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Children in an area of high deprivation and from a low income household not in receipt of benefits related free school meals
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Children under another vulnerable cohort (Child in Need Plan/ Child Protection Plan/Known to Social Services)
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Other evidenced reasons*
*Other evidenced reasons include Awaiting EHCP, serious medical conditions, mental health needs/other complex needs.
It is important to note that:
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These places are limited, not guaranteed, and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis
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They are offered for one delivery period at a time (e.g. Spring, Summer, or Winter)
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Interested families or professionals must contact the chosen provider directly to confirm availability and ensure individual needs can be supported
To manage this process effectively, the HAF team uses a referral form for professionals and providers. This helps:
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Capture relevant information about the child’s circumstances and eligibility under the 15% discretionary criteria
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Monitor capacity across delivery periods and avoid oversubscription
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Inform strategic discussions with the HAF steering group, ensuring targeted outreach and identification of unmet need
The referral process is reviewed regularly in partnership with the strategy and steering group, to ensure equitable access and to support data-informed decisions about provision for vulnerable cohorts.
7. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities/Additional Needs
Ensuring that children with Special Educational Needs and (SEN) can access and benefit from the HAF programme is one of Sutton's most important and most challenging programme priorities. SEN eligible children face greater barriers to participation in holiday activities, and specialist provision remains significantly underrepresented relative to demand.
The majority of SEN eligible children who attended did so through universal settings, where children with additional needs attend mainstream provision with or without additional support. Sutton has worked to increase the accessibility of universal settings by setting aside a dedicated budget to fund additional SEN support within clubs - a step that has been well-received and has seen strong take-up.Where additional support such as 1:1 staffing was needed, funding was granted in consultation with the Children and Young People's Disability Team, ensuring safe, effective, and dignified participation for all children.
A significant milestone was achieved in Winter 2025 with the commissioning of sutton’s first exclusive SEN provider Keen2Go, which created dedicated limited SEND specialist places. This pilot was a major step forward in our ambition to provide genuinely specialist provision for children whose needs cannot always be met within a universal setting.
Regular feedback from families and providers continues to shape and refine our approach - ensuring that Sutton HAF remains a place where every child, regardless of their needs, feels safe, supported, and included.
8. HAF Programmes 2025
Spring 2025
Spring 2025 was the first delivery period of the programme year and was characterised by a compressed procurement and mobilisation timeline that created operational pressures for the team and for commissioned providers.
Despite this, the programme expanded its geographical footprint across the borough in Spring 2025, reaching more communities than the previous year.
A wide and diverse range of activities was delivered across Spring 2025, ensuring something for every interest, age, and ability. Provision included multi-sports, martial arts, drama, arts and crafts, cooking, and enrichment workshops - with providers praised for the creativity and energy of their offer.
Quality assurance remained strong, with 6 provider visits completed and constructive feedback given where needed.
Summer 2025
Summer 2025 was the largest and most complex delivery period of the 2025/2026 programme year but where the most impact occurs. The programme ran smoothly throughout the summer, with 19 providers (initially 24) who delivered across 30 locations in the borough.
A wide range of activities were delivered during Summer HAF, including multi-sports, arts and crafts, swimming, coding, drama, and day trips. Our popular cycling club returned to help children learn how to cycle and repair/check skills. We also continued the targeted provision for 13–16 year olds, offering engaging workshops in podcasting, filmmaking, content creation, journalism, acting and theatre, photography, and DJing and more.
Providers were visited for quality assurance, and HAF standards were met. While some sessions reached full capacity, others experienced varied uptake.
Winter 2025
Winter HAF delivered a wide variety of engaging activities, including multi-sports, drama, arts and crafts, STEM sessions, theatre, and seasonal trips. Although attendance and the number of unique children were lower this is anticipated due to the winter season and the programme still remained impactful. Our exclusive 13 - 16 year old targeted provision continued to develop successfully, offering targeted workshops focused on life skills such as sports coaching, physical literacy, filmmaking, drama, and content creation.
The period was also marked by a landmark milestone for inclusion: the commissioning of Sutton's first ever exclusive SEN provider: Keen2go, delivering dedicated specialist places for the first time exclusive to eligible SEN children only.
Anticipating lower winter attendance, additional communications were implemented, including radio advertising via Global Player and direct reminders to eligible families to encourage voucher use.
To extend provision beyond sessions, we partnered with Take and Make to distribute festive activity boxes (recipe kits), and also produced STEAM activity books with The Wonder Company for children to take home.
Quality assurance visits were conducted at four provider settings during the Winter HAF to ensure high quality delivery was maintained.
9. Summary
The 2025/2026 HAF programme year has been one of continued progress, growth, and learning for the London Borough of Sutton. Across Spring, Summer, and Winter, the programme reached over 2,400 children across up to 30 locations, delivered by as many as 21 providers, supporting families during school holidays when pressures are often greatest.
Key achievements this year include the highest ever summer attendance, a 25% year-on-year increase in winter attendance with an improved 89% attendance rate, consistently strong quality assurance compliance, and the commissioning of Sutton’s first exclusive specialist SEND provider. Stronger community outreach in higher-need areas, including the Benhill Estate engagement day, alongside partnerships with organisations such as NHS partners, Community Action Sutton, British Cycling, and local leisure and community providers, have further strengthened and enriched the offer.
At the same time, key challenges remain, particularly the persistent gap in specialist SEND provision, ongoing provider withdrawals, and the continued pressure of delivering a borough-wide programme with limited operational capacity. Voucher redemption rates also remain a structural challenge requiring ongoing focus.
Sutton remains committed to strengthening the programme and ensuring all children have access to safe, inclusive, and fulfilling holiday experiences.
The programme’s success continues to rely on strong collaboration across providers, schools, council teams, health partners, and community organisations. The Sutton HAF team extends sincere thanks to all providers who delivered with professionalism and care, to partners across the borough who supported delivery, and to the children and families whose engagement makes the programme meaningful.
Looking ahead, the priorities set out for 2026/2027 will build on this year’s progress while addressing key challenges, with a continued focus on improving access, strengthening provision, and delivering positive outcomes for children and families across Sutton.
Thank you