Extending the school day would help disadvantaged pupils and improve attendance, according to findings published today.
The study shows that attending extracurricular clubs during secondary school is associated with “positive outcomes” when young people reach their twenties.
But differences in access to extracurricular activities among school pupils mean the benefits are “bypassing those who have the most to gain”, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) report warns.
Vulnerable pupils are less likely to benefit from sports and extracurricular activities because fewer of them participate in them, it says.
The study, which looked at participation in extracurricular activities during secondary school and the potential longer-term benefits, found that private school students were more likely to attend sports clubs and clubs for hobbies, arts and music than their peers in state schools.
Students eligible for free school meals, those with lower prior attainment and those with poorer health and special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) were also less likely to attend sports clubs and clubs for hobbies, arts and music, when compared with their peers.
The study, funded by the Law Family Educational Trust, used longitudinal data to consider which student characteristics were most strongly associated with take-up of sports clubs or clubs for hobbies, arts or music when young people were aged 13 to 15, in 2013 and 2014.
It then examined whether take-up of these activities was associated with a range of positive outcomes eight years later in 2021, when the young people were aged 21 to 22.
Students who attended clubs for hobbies, arts and music during their time in secondary school were more likely to progress to higher education by age 21 to 22, the research found.
There is also a “positive association” between attending sports clubs in secondary school and being in employment or education in your early twenties, the study suggests.
DfE ‘should fund a longer school day’
The think tank has called on the government to support schools to offer an extended school day - including through extra funding weighted towards schools with more disadvantaged intakes.
The EPI report says: “The extended day should include enrichment activities including sports, hobbies, music and art, alongside academic activities.
“As well as spreading opportunities for enrichment more evenly, a well-designed extended school day also has the potential to contribute towards improving attendance levels in schools.”
Improving attendance is a major focus for the government and schools after absence increased sharply following the pandemic.
David Robinson, director for post-16 and skills at the EPI, said: “Our research clearly shows that not all students have equal access to extracurricular activities and the range of long-term benefits that may result from participation.
“With good reasons to think that these gaps in participation may have worsened for more recent cohorts, with the cost of living rising for families and school absence rates increasing in the wake of the pandemic, policymakers must act to ensure that the most vulnerable students are not missing out.
“Interventions should focus on making existing provision more accessible, as well as increasing the variety of activities available.”
Mr Robinson added: “If policymakers are serious about addressing the many inequalities of opportunities for young people, these activities should be considered as an integral part of childhood for all.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “There’s no doubt that extracurricular activities are hugely beneficial for those able to take part, but the fact is that school budgets are under such pressure that it is becoming increasingly challenging to run sports clubs and other groups.
“This disproportionately impacts on pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are less likely to have the opportunity to attend clubs outside of school.
“The government needs to improve levels of funding to enable all schools to provide enriching extracurricular activities, with particular consideration given to those serving more disadvantaged communities.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “Many schools already offer a range of optional extracurricular activities for pupils, from sport and the arts to other hobbies.
“There is no doubt that they can be beneficial for pupils. However, current school budgets simply do not cover the costs of these activities.
“Any expansion of these sorts of activities would require significant government investment at a time when many schools are still facing severe financial pressures just to cover basic day-to-day learning after a decade of real-terms funding cuts.”
