By the middle of August, the reality of the long school holiday is clear and I am often struck by how different summer feels depending on a child’s circumstances. For some, it is rest, play and new experiences. For others, it can mean the loss of routine, trusted adults, specialist support, meals, friendships and safe places to be.

We know schools do far more than educate. They are part of the everyday infrastructure of childhood. When they close for summer, the impact is not felt evenly. Save the Children’s 2026 Big Summer Survey found that 88% of UK parents say the holidays place financial and emotional pressure on families, while one in five worry about feeding the whole family or about childcare and holiday club costs. For disabled children and their families, the barriers are sharper still. Sense’s 2026 research found that 61,415 disabled children live in areas with no commissioned holiday club options, only 6% receive holiday support, and 57% of parents and carers struggle to find accessible holiday clubs.

This matters because inclusion is not an abstract policy ambition; it is experienced in the ordinary places where childhood happens. It is whether a child can join in, be welcomed, have their communication needs understood, travel safely, eat well, make friends, and return home with confidence.

Research shows why summer provision should be seen as part of prevention, not as a seasonal extra. A good summer is not a luxury; for many children it is part of being ready to belong and learn again in September. The Holiday Activities and Food programme is an important part of the answer, and its extension to 2029 gives local areas welcome stability to plan with schools, voluntary organisations and communities. But the wider lesson is that inclusive play, short breaks, youth work, family help, community transport and good local information are not optional extras. For some families, they are the difference between coping and reaching breaking point.

That is why the current reform landscape matters. Children’s social care reforms, including Families First, emphasise earlier, more joined-up family help and stronger multi-agency working, while SEND reforms seek a more inclusive mainstream system, with earlier support and shared accountability across education, health and care. These ambitions will only feel real if they improve everyday life for families, including during the school holidays.

For local government children’s services, this is familiar territory. We work where national reform meets local reality: sufficiency pressures, workforce challenges, rising SEND demand, child poverty and families’ lived experience. Our role is to keep asking the practical inclusion question: who is still missing out, and what would it take for them to belong? An inclusive summer offer will not solve poverty, SEND pressures or the financial challenges facing councils, but it can show children and families what our ambitions mean in practice. If we want every child to return in September feeling safe, supported and ready to learn, there can be no summer break from our commitment to inclusion.