Physical activity may help to close gap in school attainment

New research has suggested that guaranteeing every child the opportunity to participate in certain types of physical activity could support their academic attainment.

Also finding that physical activity participation can help to close the achievement gap between wealthy and less-advantaged pupils, the study of more than 4,000 children in England suggests that those who do more physical activity are likely to have stronger ‘self-regulation’ and in particular may find it easier to control their emotions at an earlier age.

This pattern of association, through which physical activity indirectly influences progress at school by supporting self-regulation, was found to be particularly pronounced among disadvantaged children. It is believed that this may in part be because less-advantaged children often have fewer opportunities to participate in organised recreation and sports, and therefore experience stronger benefits when they do so.

Dr Michelle Ellefson, co-author of the report, said: “In the context of Covid in particular, there may be a real temptation to encourage schools to maximise classroom time to stop children falling behind. This study is saying ‘think again’, because playtime and PE lessons benefit the mind in ways that children really need in order to do their best.”