After school clubs "boost poorest pupils' results"

A major study funded by the Nuffield Foundation finds that extra-curricular clubs can improve academic performance and social skills of disadvantages pupils. The research, carried out by the NatCen Social Research, Newcastle University, and ASK Research involved 6,400 children from the Millennium Cohort Study. It found that after-school clubs could play an important role in closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged children (defined here as belonging to a household with income below 60% of the national average) and their peers. 

The report states "Compared with disadvantaged children who did not attend after-school club at the age of 11, those who attended after-school club one of two days per week had made significantly more progress than predicted." The pupils that attended after-school clubs one day each week achieved a 1.7 point higher KS2 SATS result than expected. Those who attended after-school clubs two or more days each week, achieved a 3 point higher score. 

In addition to academic performance, disadvantaged children attending these clubs gained social, emotional, and behavioural skills to further help close the gap. The full report can be found here. 

CSC supports extra-curricular provision

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