Junior Adventures Group

Junior Adventures Group: school-age childcare and holiday camps across the UK

Junior Adventures Group (JAG) describes itself as a provider of before-school, after-school and holiday activity clubs in the United Kingdom, a role it says it has filled for more than thirty years. Its offer is organised around two main blocks: term-time care attached to the school day and holiday camps that occupy the school breaks.

The company presents its work as an extension of classroom learning rather than a simple supervision service, framing its clubs as spaces where children build social, emotional and interpersonal skills. It states that its programmes rest on three pillars: Inclusion & Participation, Creativity & Learning, and Wellbeing & Happiness.

Rise then Shine and Stay and Play: the term-time programme

The before- and after-school provision has been regrouped under the name Adventure Programme. It comprises a morning session, Rise then Shine, and an afternoon session, Stay and Play. The programme is structured around seven "adventure categories" intended to guide child-led activities:

• Flavour Fest
• Wellbeing Warriors
• Super Sports
• Global Kids
• Brain Boosters
• Creative Inventors
• Power Teams

According to the company, a central feature is that children choose the activities they want to take part in, with the aim of building confidence and helping them identify their own interests. The categories span physical education, arts, STEM and wellbeing.

Holiday HQ and Holiday HQ+

For school holidays, JAG operates Holiday HQ, described as a programme combining outdoor activities, creative workshops, cooking classes and interactive learning sessions. A second, differentiated option appears under the name Holiday HQ+, and the site also devotes a section to explaining what Holiday HQ consists of.

The holiday programme is organised thematically: each day centres on a different theme and includes a range of activities. The company lists Make and Take, Special Events and Daily Themed Activities among the contents of a typical day. It presents the holiday clubs as an opportunity for children to build friendships, explore interests and return to school with memories of the break.

Pre-school settings

Beyond school-age care, the group lists two pre-school settings, Lakeview Pre School and Willow Grove Pre School, which appear as distinct entries within its structure.

Services for schools and partners

JAG addresses schools, local authorities and academy trusts with what it describes as a one-stop solution for extended school provision. The services listed for this audience are holiday clubs, breakfast clubs, PE, Active Playgrounds and after-school clubs. The company also refers to bespoke packages for schools and partners and to a National Wraparound Care Fund.

Scale, staffing and recruitment

The site refers to more than 65 venues and to teams working across the UK. It states that staff are DBS-checked and professionally trained, and that the organisation provides training and opportunities in roles ranging from children's coaching and camp management to breakfast club work. Current vacancies and apprenticeships are advertised as part of its recruitment activity.

For parents, the company publishes a set of practical resources: guidance for new reception children for 26/27, a club availability checker, FAQs, payment options, birthday parties, articles and advice, and an at-home section. A separate area gathers its child safeguarding documentation, including a statement of commitment to safeguarding children and policies on accidents and incidents, attendance, curriculum, health and safety, inclusion, SEND support and complaints and confidentiality.

What the site says about its own standing

Junior Adventures Group describes itself as the UK's leading provider of before, during and after-school activity clubs and holiday clubs. The site also reproduces comments attributed to an Ofsted inspector, a child, a parent and a teacher, which present the clubs as safe, varied and well run; these are individual testimonies rather than an independent assessment.