While I know that they will all come to love their club, that first day is so important. Members of staff need to make sure that the new arrivals get a chance to make themselves at home and get to know the staff.
While settling the children in it's also important not to forget the parents -many will have been worrying how their child is getting on.
Collection time can be busy but, when new parents come to pick up their child, it is so important to be able to take the time to discuss what each child has been up to.
Of course, many children will have left the club before going on to secondary school. For these children September is no less daunting - they too are starting a new school but often without the support of their out-of-school club. There is a paucity of projects that offer out-of-school activities for the 11-to 14-year-olds and we will be campaigning to make this an area of urgent priority over coming years.
Back to school means new opportunities for clubs. Not just new projects with the children but also a chance to look at your club afresh and consider new horizons - perhaps expansion or going for that new minibus (see story left).