Half-term information for parents and carers
We thought we would share some information via West Sussex County Council (WSCC) as half-term begins.
Have you heard of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF)?
The HAF programme is fully funded by the Department for Education and offers children who are entitled to benefits-related free school meals, the opportunity to attend participating holiday activity clubs and have a free meal.
HAF provides a range of safe spaces for children to learn, explore and meet new friends over the school holidays. All our sessions focus on keeping children active and each session includes a free, nutritious meal.
Read more here: Holiday Activities and Food programme - West Sussex County Council
Over the summer holidays, 2892 children took part in HAF activities in West Sussex, some of the highlights included:
• swim safety being taught in Bognor Regis - pop-up pool at a school enabled children to learn vital lifesaving skills this summer
• summer production in Chichester - children of all ages performed to original musical called "I am" looking at self-discovery, confidence and acceptance through diversity
• music production in Worthing - a young person recording a song they had written themselves with confidence in front of new adults
• forest school adventures in Crawley - adults encouraged children’s creativity, exploration, and learning in the outdoor woodland area. Children used musical instruments to explore different sounds, made dens and used tools to make wooden animal faces
Benefits-related free school meals (FSM) are available to pupils if their parents are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits and have a claim verified by WSCC. For further information on how to apply for FSM, please see the useful links section on the WSCC website.