After-school clubs ‘can improve poorer children’s education’

Study finds pupils who take part in organised sports and physical activities are more likely to achieve higher results. After-school clubs can improve the academic performance and social skills of children from disadvantaged backgrounds, research shows. The study of 6,400 children in England found that those who took part in organised sports and physical activities at the ages of five, seven and 11 were almost one and a half times more likely to reach a higher than expected level in their Key Stage 2 (KS2) maths test at the age of 11. Disadvantaged children who attended after-school clubs also fared better than their peers who did not take part. They achieved on average a two-point higher score in their KS2 assessments in English, maths and science at the end of primary school. This is equivalent to two-fifths of the “attainment gap” between poorer children and those from more affluent homes. Read More