Nursery World - Older kids need clubs

By Anne Longfield, chief executive of Kids' Clubs Network. The growing success of kids clubs means out-of-school childcare for four- to 11-year-olds is now firmly placed on the national agenda. However, what is being provided for the over-11s going to secondary school and consequently leaving their out-of-school club? The short answer is very little.

The growing success of kids clubs means out-of-school childcare for four- to 11-year-olds is now firmly placed on the national agenda. However, what is being provided for the over-11s going to secondary school and consequently leaving their out-of-school club? The short answer is very little.

The needs of this age group are very different, and Kids' Clubs Network wants to provide clubs that are 'cool' enough to attract young people. To be sure of getting the right answer we asked teenagers what they wanted.

Their responses showed that 70 per cent of 11-to 16-year-olds believe young people commit crime because there is not enough to do and six out of ten think there is not enough to do in their area.

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