Lynne Neagle, Cabinet Secretary for Education
On 4 June 2024, I announced that Julie Morgan MS had agreed to lead a rapid review of the School Holiday Enrichment Programme to consider how provision can be maximised during the summer holiday period and to ensure learners most in need can access the programme.
Julie Morgan MS has concluded her review and submitted her final report with recommendations in December 2024. A copy can be found at School Holiday Enrichment Programme (SHEP): interim report.
The School Holiday Enrichment Programme is a Programme for Government commitment to deliver a school-based scheme providing healthy meals, food and nutrition education, physical activity, and enrichment sessions to learners in areas of socio-economic disadvantage, for a minimum of 12 days during the school summer holidays. Managed by the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), it is promoted to learners and families under the ‘Food and Fun’ brand.
I was pleased to be able to provide over £4.85 million for ‘Food and Fun’ in this financial year which helped 205 schemes to run over the summer offering over 13,000 places to children in areas of socio-economic disadvantage. The review has set out where provision may be further maximised.
I have considered and agreed with these recommendations and asked my officials to take forward their implementation including further detailed discussion on a second phase. I have also made a further £1 million in funding available to the programme in my 2025-26 budget, as part of the package of funding to support attendance and tackle disengagement which I announced in December.
I would like to place on record my gratitude to Julie Morgan MS for undertaking this work. It has provided me with further insight into the opportunities and challenges around the programme, the benefits to participants and their families and the considerable efforts of all those who manage the programme and are involved in day-to-day delivery, who have been instrumental in continuing to make the Programme such a success.
I am issuing this Written Statement to ensure that the Senedd is kept fully updated on this area of very important work.