When our out-of-school club was first established seven years ago, it had a handful of four-to six-year-olds and two members of staff. Now we have a growing number of increasingly independent eight-to 11-year-olds. I had given these children small responsibilities such as 'helping' the younger ones by hanging up coats and setting out activities.
Recently the club had a large intake of four-and five-year-olds and for the first time, the staff began to hear murmurs of unrest among the older children. The grumbling would stop in the presence of an adult and the children seemed reluctant to talk individually, so it was decided to talk about this 'unrest' at a meeting with the older children. It was time to get their voices heard!
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