Out-of-school clubs count on progress

* The number of after-school clubs in England has doubled since 1997, but the Kids' Clubs Network claims there is much more to be done. According to the charity, the £300m made available through the New Opportunities Fund in 1997 has made a big difference to out-of-school childcare, with 240,000 places at after-school clubs now compared with 115,000 in 1997. However, it said last week that the current expansion of out-of-school clubs would meet only 60 per cent of demand, and pointed to a problem of sustainability in disadvantaged areas.