The Children’s Commissioner is warning that disabled children from low-income families are missing the opportunity to enjoy the school holidays because activities are too far away, inaccessible or lack the specialist support they need.
Dame Rachel de Souza’s new report finds that children with specialist educational needs and disabilities (SEND) from disadvantaged backgrounds are around a third less likely than other disadvantaged children to access the government’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.
Drawing on unpublished self reported data from the Department for Education the report estimates that thousands of children with identified SEND who are eligible for free school meals may be missing out on the HAF programme, compared with their peers.
While attendance has increased in recent years, the report extrapolates data to estimate that only 14 per cent of children eligible for free school meals with SEND attended a HAF programme in summer 2025, compared with 22 per cent of eligible children without identified SEND.
Alongside the findings, the Children’s Commissioner’s report shares powerful responses to her national survey of children, The Big Future survey, which underlines the importance of play and access to equal opportunities.