Inequalities in children’s access to out of school activities has led to policy across Europe to enhance the opportunities that are available to economically disadvantaged children. Methodological problems in past research has meant that it has not been easy to link out of school activities to attainment in a meaningful way, exceptions being Sylva et al (2008). This led to our research funded by Nuffield and carried out by NatCen and Newcastle university. The research questions that the study aimed to investigate were: Are there patterns in how children spend their time in organised activities and at home and if so how does time use vary by socio-economic background, gender, ethnicity, current and prior parental? And if children’s time use out of school hours affect attainment, which types of activities predict attainment? The research has looked at the out of school activities of 11,762 children at ages 5, 7 and 11, whose lives have been followed since 2000 by the Millennium Cohort Study (MSC). Possible associations with educational attainment were considered by linking the MCS with the National Pupil Database (NPD) for England and using multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression analysis. Interviews and focus groups were held with head teachers, teachers, parents, pupils and activity providers in 10 schools in London and the North East looking at perceived barriers, facilitators and impacts. A number of differences in the prevalence of activities between rich and poor, and with other characteristics of the children (such as ethnicity, gender, parent education) and the association of these activities with attainment for different groups of children were considered in terms of possible implications for policy and practice. Children were found to be spending their time in (for example) a range of clubs, acting as carers, helping at home, reading for pleasure and attending private tuition after school. This paper presents the detailed findings. After school club attendance was positively associated with attainment for low income children. Results were considered in terms of the increasing scholarisation of childhood (Mayall 2007, Ball 2010) and the institutionalisation of non-school activities (Holloway and Pimlott-Wilson 2014).

Ball, S. J. (2010). "New class inequalities in education: Why education policy may be looking in the wrong place! Education policy, civil society and social class."International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 30(3): 155-166. Holloway, S. L. and H. Pimlott-Wilson (2014). "Enriching children, institutionalizing childhood? Geographies of play, extracurricular activities, and parenting in England."Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 104(3): 613-627. Mayall, B. (2007). Children’s Lives Outside School and Their Educational Impact (Primary Review Research Survey 8/1). Cambridge, University of Cambridge Faculty of Education. Sylva, K., et al. (2008). Final Report from the Primary Phase: Pre-School, School and Family Influences on Children’s Development during Key Stage 2 (7-11). DCSF Research Report 61. London, Department for Education.