Calls for more activities for vulnerable young people in Sussex
Report finds inequalities between opportunities for young people
Vulnerable pupils are less likely to benefit from sports and extracurricular activities as fewer of them participate in such activities, a report has found.
Attending extracurricular clubs during secondary school is associated with "positive outcomes" when young people reach their 20s, according to the Education Policy Institute (EPI) study.
But the think tank has warned that differences in access to extracurricular activities among school pupils mean the benefits are "bypassing those who have the most to gain".
The report, which looked at participation in extracurricular activities during secondary school and the potential longer-term benefits, found that private school pupils 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 both sports clubs, and clubs for hobbies, arts and music, when compared to their peers.
The report, funded by the Law Family Educational Trust, used longitudinal data to consider which student characteristics were most strongly associated with take-up of sporting clubs or clubs for hobbies, arts or music when young people were aged 13-15, in 2013 and 2014.
"Helps to build social networks"
We've been speaking to Carl Scott who runs Project Youth in Hastings. He told us the importance of taking part in after school clubs and engaging with youth services:
"It helps them to build social networks, make friends and create social circles. It also leads them into finding new things and activities they enjoy.
"It gives them a higher success rate when they have more activities and they get to develop there character a lot more, especially if it's something new to them, or they haven't done before. Sometimes it gives them leadership skills as well.
"The risks that come with not engaging in activities are getting involved with things on the streets and finding a sense of involvement from other people on the streets which runs the risk of exploitation and grooming."
When asked about what authorities could d to provide more equal opportunities, Carl said:
"Pump more money into the areas that haven't go much. We've got a lot of children here in East Sussex that haven't got many opportunities and there isn't many activities for young people to go and do."
Children who partake are more likely to be in higher education
The study 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 21-22.
It suggested that 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 21-22.
There is also a "positive association" between attending sports clubs in secondary school and being in employment or education in your early twenties, according to the study.
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 report said: "The extended day should include enrichment activities including sports, hobbies, music, 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."