John Kyrle High School, Ross, Wins National Holiday Award

John Kyrle High School and Sixth Form Centre in Ross-on-Wye has won a national award for the free holiday activities it runs with Herefordshire Council. The school, about 14 miles south-east of Hereford, took the HAF School Partnership category at the Holiday Activities and Food Programme Awards 2026.

Herefordshire Council announced the win on Friday 9 October. The school was first named the regional winner in its category. It then won the national award at a ceremony hosted by the Department for Education in Westminster on 30 September.

Dr Luke Moseley, the headteacher, said: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award.”

What the school did

HAF is the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food programme. It pays for free holiday clubs, with a meal, for children who get benefits-related free school meals. In Herefordshire it runs under the name Here for Herefordshire Holidays.

The award recognises John Kyrle’s summer school, delivered in partnership with the council’s HAF team. The council’s release names Susan Gunter, the lead teacher for the summer school, and Fiona Moore, assistant headteacher, as the school’s representatives at the ceremony. Rebecca Chambers-Perola, a Talk Community children and families support officer, attended for the council.

Councillor Ivan Powell, the cabinet member for children and young people, said: “We are delighted that John Kyrle High School has been recognised as both regional and national winners at this year’s HAF Awards.”

Councillor Carole Gandy, the cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “This award shines a spotlight on our fantastic network of Herefordshire providers.”

The programme behind it

According to the council, around 40 providers across Herefordshire run HAF sessions. They cover sport, arts and crafts, outdoor learning, cooking and wellbeing, and every session includes a meal.

The money comes from Whitehall. The government’s HAF allocations table, updated on 20 February, gives Herefordshire £481,540 for 2026/27 out of £213.9 million across England. Of the county’s share, £445,740 is for the programme itself and £35,800 for council capacity.

The Department for Education’s programme guidance says the funding was settled for three years on 28 August 2025, at more than £200 million a year, running to the end of 2028/29. Councils are asked to offer eligible children at least four hours a day, four days a week, for the equivalent of six weeks across the year.

Who can use it

Eligibility has just changed. The government guidance says that from September 2026 HAF places are for children in households on Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less. Children who qualify for free school meals only under the wider expansion of the scheme are not eligible for HAF. Councils may spend up to 15 per cent of their grant on places for other children they think would benefit.

Christmas 2026

The council’s provider grant page lists the Christmas 2026 sessions as:

• Monday 21 December
• Tuesday 22 December
• Wednesday 30 December
• Thursday 31 December

Last year the council opened Christmas bookings on 3 December through the Talk Community Directory, and each child could book up to four sessions. Its 18 December newsletter said places were “going quickly”. No opening date has been published yet for this year.

What it means for you

• If your child gets benefits-related free school meals, they can attend free HAF sessions in the Christmas holidays, with a meal included. Universal infant free school meals do not count.
• Book through the Talk Community Directory once bookings open. The council’s tip from last year: use the child’s name and date of birth exactly as they appear on the school register, or the booking will be delayed.
• Questions go to the council’s HAF team at HAF@herefordshire.gov.uk.
• Term dates for the Christmas break are on our Herefordshire school term dates page, and half-term ideas are in October half term in Hereford.