Book a place
Through our programme of healthy food and fun activities, children and young people can develop new skills, take part in creative and physical activities, learn about food and cooking, and enjoy free nutritious meals each day.
How do I book a place for my child?
Bookings are made through individual activity providers. The programme offer along with booking links and contact information for providers are on the programme offer web page.
Parents/guardians need to provide their child's individual Hillingdon HAF reference number at the point of booking, to secure their free place.
Where do I access my child's individual HAF reference number?
Reference numbers are sent directly to parents/guardians of eligible children.
If you have not received one, or would like to request a discretionary place, please email hafprogramme@hillingdon.gov.uk or call 01895 277881.
Why is there no booking link for a provider?
Some programmes are 'closed' and attendance is limited to a specific group of children.
For example, some schools deliver programmes for children who are currently attending or are transitioning to their school in September.
In this instance, if you feel that your child is eligible, please email hafprogramme@hillingdon.gov.uk or call 01895 277881.
How many programmes can I book?
Each eligible child is entitled to access a maximum of 6 weeks' free provision per year.
This is divided into 1 week of activity at Easter, 1 week at Christmas and 4 weeks in the summer.
Each week-long activity will be a minimum of 4 hours per day for 4 days. Some providers may offer a programme that is longer (5 day week, or a longer day) and children who book onto these programmes can access the whole programme offered.
Other providers take bookings by individual sessions/days, so children can be booked onto a maximum of 16 sessions in summer and 4 sessions at Easter and Christmas - each session will last for at least 4 hours.
If families would like additional days during the holidays, parents/guardians are welcome to book directly with providers who offer additional spaces.
Please note: These will incur charges.
What if my child has additional support needs?
If your child has a special educational need or disability, or requires assistance for the activity, please contact the chosen provider to discuss further - the parent or carer may be welcome to attend or the activity provider may be able to offer extra support for your child.
When you complete the booking form, please give as much detail as you can about what the activity provider can do to support your child and ensure they have an enjoyable experience. If your child has a 1-page profile, you might like to share this too. Providers might make contact beforehand to discuss your child's needs.
If a provider feels they need more time to gather information or put adjustments in place, they might ask you to attend on a later date than planned or do a phased approach, building up the time your child attends. You can also request smaller visits, if this will help your child.
The providers on offer include those experienced in working with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and are, therefore, appropriately trained to support children with a disability or additional needs.
We will be providing some activities exclusively aimed at SEND children and young people.
Will meals and refreshments be provided?
Yes they will. A healthy meal will be provided each day of the activity.
If your child has a food allergy or special dietary requirement, or if you have a question about the meal, please speak to the activity provider. Contact details for the activity providers are on our programme offer web page.
Can I request a discretionary place if my child does not meet the FSM criteria?
Professionals within Hillingdon may request discretionary places for vulnerable children and families that are not currently in receipt of FSM by completing the discretionary place request form.
For further information about discretionary places, please email hafprogramme@hillingdon.gov.uk.