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A new working paper
from the Centre for Longitudinal Studies investigates whether taking
part in out-of-school activities during primary school is linked with
end-of-primary-school achievement and social, emotional, and behavioural
outcomes for all children, and specifically for children from
economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The analysis is based on the UK’s Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a
national longitudinal study of more than 11,000 children born in the
year 2000. This was linked with administrative data on the children’s
attainment scores at ages 6-7 and 10-11. In addition to looking at
achievement (total point score, English, and maths) at ages 10-11,
researchers also investigated social, emotional, and behavioural
outcomes using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) total
difficulties and prosocial skills scores.
Results showed that sports clubs and “other” (unspecified) club
participation was positively associated with achievement outcomes at age
11, when controlling for prior achievement. Participating in organised
sports or physical activity was also positively linked to social,
emotional, and behavioural outcomes. Among disadvantaged children, after
school clubs emerged as the only organised activity linked to child
outcomes; participation was linked to both higher achievement and
prosocial skills at ages 10-11.
Source:Out of School Activities During Primary School and KS2 Attainment (2016) Centre for Longitudinal Studies