Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the funding for children with SEND to help provide access to (a) activities and (b) childcare during school holidays.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and giving every child the best start in life. The holiday activities and food (HAF) programme funds free holiday club places for children in every local authority in England in the summer, Christmas, and Easter holidays. HAF clubs provide heathy meals, enriching activities and free childcare places to children from low-income families. In addition, 15% of HAF funding is available to fund places for children who may not qualify on household income, but who may have additional needs or disadvantages that mean they would benefit from a place. Thousands of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will access inclusive and specialist HAF provision this summer.

Local authorities are responsible for delivering the HAF programme in their area. Guidance clearly sets out that they must give specific consideration to the needs of children with SEND, or additional needs, and the department encourages local authorities to engage with local and national organisations, including special schools, to draw on their expertise in how best to support these children and their families during the school holidays.