Primary School Children In England Research Articles

Children who experience misrecognition in primary education: A social justice perspective

AbstractOur research constructed school life histories with 23 ‘lower‐attaining’ primary school children in England. Previous research has often failed to focus on the social justice aspects of this group, and no attempt has been made to contextualise children's misrecognition experiences within their full school life history, nor to hear primarily from children. Our results reveal for the first time the feelings, thinking and actions of lower attainers across 5 years of schooling, in response to the institutionalised practice of grouping by prior attainment. Nancy Fraser's conceptualisation of social justice as parity of participation provides our analysis framework, incorporating concepts of redistribution, recognition and representation. We focus primarily on how some low‐attaining children experience misrecognition. Our results indicate how lower‐attaining children sometimes identify themselves as less worthy, less connected, less similar and less visible than others. This construction allows for less respect to be shown to them and could block the fair distribution of schooling resources, and limit their opportunities for achieving social esteem.

The status of active after-school clubs among primary school children in England (UK) after the COVD-19 lockdowns: implications for policy and practice

BackgroundChildren’s physical activity in England is more dependent on active clubs after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear how the COVID-19 pandemic and related cost-of-living crisis have impacted on active club participation, costs and provision. This mixed-methods natural experiment explored school-based and community-based active clubs after lockdowns, using a unique combination of data sources to highlight implications for policy and practice post-COVID-19.MethodsCross-sectional questionnaire data on school and community active clubs were collected from 10-11-year-old children pre-COVID-19 in 2017-18 (N = 1,296; 50 schools), in 2021 (N = 393; 23 schools), and 2022 (N = 463; 27 schools). Club participation and attendance frequency were modelled using logistic and Poisson mixed effects models, adjusted for child age, gender and household education. In 2021 and 2022, parents reported expenditure on community-based clubs and schools provided data on school-based club provision, with data summarised descriptively. Qualitative data were collected in 2021 and 2022, with one-to-one interviews with school staff (N = 18) and parents (N = 43), and twelve child focus groups (N = 92), and analysed using the framework method.ResultsSchool-based active club participation was higher in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic (50% /43%), while community-based club participation was lower (74%/80%). Children attended 0.3 fewer clubs per week. Those from lower education households were less likely to participate in both types of active clubs, and girls less likely to attend community clubs. In 2022, the median cost of community and school club sessions were £6.67 and £3.88 respectively, with 52% of school-based clubs free to parents. Schools offered an average of 3.4 active clubs per week for 10-11-year-olds in 2022, with 34% partly/wholly subsidised. Qualitative analysis highlighted the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and COVID-19 pandemic on family resources, encouraging a shift to more affordable and convenient school-based active clubs, which negatively impacted the community-based active club environment. However, many schools struggled to meet this increased demand.ConclusionsFindings emphasise the importance for policymakers to support schools to meet increased demand for clubs and community clubs to increase affordable and convenient physical activity opportunities. Targeted support is needed to prevent socioeconomic and gender inequalities.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between cardiorespiratory fitness and health-related quality of life in primary school children in England: the mediating role of psychological correlates of physical activity.

The aims were (1) to analyse the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between children's cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and (2) to examine whether these associations were mediated by physical activity self-efficacy and physical activity enjoyment. This study involved 383 children (10.0 ± 0.5 years) recruited from 20 primary schools in northwest England. Data were collected on two occasions 12 weeks apart. The number of laps completed in the 20-m Shuttle Run Test was used as the CRF indicator. HRQoL was assessed using the KIDSCREEN-10 questionnaire. Physical activity self-efficacy and enjoyment were assessed with the social-cognitive and Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale questionnaires, respectively. Linear mixed models with random intercepts (schools) assessed associations between CRF and HRQoL cross-sectionally, and longitudinally. Boot-strapped mediation procedures were performed, and indirect effects (IE) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) not including zero considered as statistically significant. Analyses were adjusted for sex, time of the year, socioeconomic status, waist-to-height ratio, maturation, and physical activity. CRF was cross-sectionally associated with HRQoL (β = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.02, 0.16; p = .015). In the longitudinal analysis, CRF at baseline was associated with HRQoL at 12 weeks after additionally controlling for baseline HRQoL (β = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.002; p = .15, p = .045). Cross-sectionally, physical activity self-efficacy and enjoyment acted individually as mediators in the relationship between CRF and HRQoL (IE = 0.069, 95% CI = 0.038; p = .105 and IE = 0.045, 95% CI = 0.016; p = .080, respectively). In the longitudinal analysis, physical activity self-efficacy showed a significant mediating effect (IE = 0.025, 95% CI = 0.004; p = .054). Our findings highlight the influence of CRF on children's psychological correlates of physical activity and their overall HRQoL.

Are children at schools registered to The Daily Mile™ more physically active?

Abstract Background The Daily Mile (TDM) is among the most popular school-based running programmes recommended globally by governments and the WHO to meet the shortfalls in children's physical activity. In England, it has been adopted by 1 in 5 primary schools. However, its impact on children's physical activity has not been assessed at scale. We aimed to compare a)minutes (mins) of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in and outside school hours and b)meeting physical activity guidelines in primary school children in England, comparing those in schools registered with TDM with those that were not. Methods This was a cross-sectional study. We used self-reported data of 49,561 English primary school children(5-11 years) from the Active Lives Children and Young People Survey and TDM registration data of their school. We compared mins of MVPA in and outside school hours between children in TDM-registered and non-registered schools using a multilevel zero-inflated negative binomial model; and the differences in the likelihood of meeting physical activity guidelines based on TDM registration with a multilevel logistic regression model. All models included a random effect for school and adjusted for potential confounders. Results Children attending TDM-registered schools reported an extra 36 mins of MVPA a week overall, including 10 additional mins (95%CI:3,16) MVPA/week during school hours and 26 additional (95%CI:4,44) mins MVPA/week outside school hours. Children in TDM-registered schools were 6% more likely to meet physical activity guidelines compared to those who were not(RR:1.06 (95%CI:1.02,1.11)). Conclusions Children in primary schools registered to TDM report more physical activity that is not compensated for outside school hours. However, the absolute differences fall considerably short of international guidelines across the whole child population. Therefore, a whole school and systems-based approach is required, embedding school-based running programmes. Key messages Children in schools registered to TDM report more MVPA overall, inside, and outside school hours; suggesting no compensation of activity in those who are registered. TDM is a potential solution to increase children’s physical activity during the school day.

Feasibility and acceptability of SARS-CoV-2 testing and surveillance in primary school children in England: Prospective, cross-sectional study.

BackgroundThe reopening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about widespread infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in educational settings. In June 2020, Public Health England (PHE) initiated prospective national surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in primary schools across England (sKIDs). We used this opportunity to assess the feasibility and agreeability of large-scale surveillance and testing for SARS-CoV-2 infections in school among staff, parents and students.MethodsStaff and students in 131 primary schools were asked to complete a questionnaire at recruitment and provide weekly nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing (n = 86) or swabs with blood samples for antibody testing (n = 45) at the beginning and end the summer half-term. In six blood sampling schools, students were asked to complete a pictorial questionnaire before and after their investigations.ResultsIn total, 135 children aged 4–7 years (n = 40) or 8–11 years (n = 95) completed the pictorial questionnaire fully or partially. Prior to sampling, oral fluid sampling was the most acceptable test (107/132, 81%) followed by throat swabs (80/134, 59%), nose swabs (77/132, 58%), and blood tests (48/130, 37%). Younger students were more nervous about all tests than older students but, after completing their tests, most children reported a “better than expected” experience with all the investigations. Students were more likely to agree to additional testing for nose swabs (93/113, 82%) and oral fluid (93/114, 82%), followed by throat swabs (85/113, 75%) and blood tests (72/108, 67%). Parents (n = 3,994) and staff (n = 2,580) selected a preference for weekly testing with nose swabs, throat swabs or oral fluid sampling, although staff were more flexible about testing frequency.ConclusionsPrimary school staff and parents were supportive of regular tests for SARS-CoV-2 and selected a preference for weekly testing. Children preferred nose swabs and oral fluids over throat swabs or blood sampling.

‘We just have to sail this sea all together until we find a shore’: parents’ accounts of home-educating primary-school children in England during COVID-19

ABSTRACT Parents’ everyday realities of enforced home-schooling during COVID-19 may offer important insights into strengths and weakness of education systems. This article presents findings from a qualitative study involving parents of primary-school-age children in England during the first ‘lockdown’. Parents shared common concerns with routine, motivation, resources, support, and children’s wellbeing, and responded creatively to the challenges they faced. We argue that focusing narrowly on ‘learning loss’ and getting ‘back on track’ may lead to impoverished educational experiences post-COVID-19, and that a broad, engaging curriculum with social and emotional wellbeing at its core will support children’s thriving in an uncertain future.

Feasibility and Acceptability of SARS-CoV-2 Testing and Surveillance in Primary School Children in England

Background: The reopening of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns about widespread infection and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in educational settings. In June 2020, Public Health England (PHE) initiated prospective national surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in primary schools across England (sKIDs). We used this opportunity to assess the feasibility and agreeability of large-scale surveillance and testing for SARS-CoV-2 infections in school among staff, parents and students.Methods: Staff and students in 131 primary schools were asked to complete a questionnaire at recruitment and provide weekly nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing (n=86) or swabs with blood samples for antibody testing (n=45) at the beginning and end the summer half-term. In six blood sampling schools, students were asked to complete a pictorial questionnaire before and after their investigations.Results: In total, 134 children aged 4-7 years (n=40) or 8-11 years (n=95) completed the pictorial questionnaire fully or partially. Prior to sampling, oral fluid sampling was the most acceptable test (107/132, 81%) followed by throat swabs (80/134, 59%), nose swabs (77/132, 58%), and blood tests (48/130, 37%). Younger students were more nervous about all tests than older students but, after completing their tests, most children reported a “better than expected” experience with all the investigations. Students were more likely to agree to additional testing for nose swabs (93/113, 82%) and oral fluid (93/114, 82%), followed by throat swabs (85/113, 75%) and blood tests (72/108, 67%). Parents (n=3,994) and staff (n=2,580) selected a preference for weekly testing with nose swabs, throat swabs or oral fluid sampling, although staff were more flexible about testing frequency. Conclusions: Primary school staff and parents were supportive of regular tests for SARS-CoV-2 and selected a preference for weekly testing. Children preferred nose swabs and oral fluids over throat swabs or blood sampling.

Grammar tests, de facto policy and pedagogical coercion in England\u2019s primary schools

Since their introduction by the Conservative government in 2013, primary school children in England have taken a mandated grammar, punctuation and spelling assessment, which places an emphasis on decontextualised, standardised English and the identification of traditional grammatical terminology. Despite some concise criticisms from educational linguists, there remains no detailed and critical investigation into the nature of the tests, their effects on test takers, and the policy initiatives which led up to their implementation. This article contributes to this gap in knowledge, using critical language testing as a methodological framework, and drawing on a bricolage of data sources such as political speeches, policy documents, test questions and interviews with teachers. I discuss how the tests work as de facto language policy, implemented as one arm of the government’s ‘core-knowledge’ educational agenda, underpinned by a reductive conceptualisation of language and a problematic discourse of ‘right/wrong’ ways of speaking. I reveal how teachers talk about the ‘power’ of the tests, intimidating and coercing them into pedagogies they do not necessarily believe in or value, which ultimately position them as vehicles for the government’s conservative and prescriptive language ideologies.

Variation in the Socioeconomic Gradient of Obesity by Ethnicity - England's National Child Measurement Programme.

ObjectiveThis study examined the prevalence and risk of overweight/obesity among expanded ethnicity categories within boys and girls in England and the differential influence of socioeconomic position using the 2015/2016 and the 2016/2017 cycles of the National Child Measurement Programme.MethodsThis cross‐sectional and descriptive study examined surveillance data of weight status among primary school children in England. Data were pooled across data collection years, representing 1.25 million children in Reception (aged 4‐5 years) and 1.1 million children in Year 6 (aged 10‐11 years). Ethnicity was classified according to National Health Service definitions, and child residence was used to calculate quintiles of Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index. Measured weight status was classified using the International Obesity Task Force’s definition. Logistic regression models were run for each sex and year group.ResultsWithin each sex, ethnicity‐ and socioeconomic‐specific differentials in overweight/obesity prevalence were evident. For example, among the five most populous ethnic groups in the most deprived quintile, 26.8% of White British girls in Reception had overweight/obesity compared with 20.7% of girls with Pakistani, 31.2% with Black African, 17.1% with Indian, and 22.2% with any Any Other White (e.g., White European) background.ConclusionsEthnicity had an independent influence on overweight/obesity risk after adjustment for socioeconomic position.

The Role of Psychological Sense of School Membership and Postcode as Predictors of Profiles of Socio-emotional Health in Primary School Children in England

A dual approach to mental health in schools has been widely defended, where the assessment of psychological distress and the examination of strengths/well-being are two separate continua. In line with a well-being approach, school belonging has been referenced as an important indicator of mental health in children. This study explored the predictive role of school sense of belonging alongside other demographic variables (gender, main language spoken at home, and socio-economic status of postcode) on the socio-emotional health profiles of primary school children in England. Children (N = 522) were recruited from three primary schools in Greater London. A survey including measures of school belonging and socio-emotional health was administered to all children. Results showed that it is possible to identify groups of students at primary school level based on socio-emotional health ratings on gratitude, zest, optimism, and perseverance. School sense of membership, as measured by the psychological sense of school membership primary (PSSM-P), was the best predictor of group membership and, together with socio-economic status, explains 37% of the variance in socio-emotional health profiles. Belonging starts affecting well-being and socio-emotional health as early as in primary school, hence the importance of universal screening and early preventive actions to promote well-being in this age range. The study provides evidence supporting the use of the abbreviated (PSSM-P) in predicting socio-emotional health profiles, with potential to complement distress-based measures.

An Evaluation of Primary School Children Coding Using a Text-Based Language (Java)

All primary school children in England are required to write computer programs and learn about computational thinking. There are moves in other countries to this effect such as the U.S. K-12 Computer Science Framework (CSF) for development. Debates on how to program and what constitutes computational thinking are ongoing. Here we report on a study of programing by children aged 7 – 11 using Java and elements of computational thinking they experience. Our platform comprises a novel Story-Writing-Coding engine we have developed. We compare novice (children’s) processes of coding an animated story with that of experts (college students) and evaluate the differences using four measures based on the progressive coding of a complete program. We also analyze the use of novice (children’s) computational thinking in this coding process. This research is set against a backdrop of approaches to teaching programing and concepts of computational thinking in recent educational literature.

Association of deprivation with overweight and obesity among primary school children in England: an ecological cross-sectional study

BackgroundIn England, levels of childhood overweight–obesity have increased for numerous reasons, including deprivation that is often measured with the English Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). The IMD comprises seven domains (income; employment; education, skills, and training; health deprivation and disability; crime; barriers to housing and services; and living environment). Whether individual IMD domains are associated with childhood overweight–obesity remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between individual IMD domains and overweight–obesity among primary schoolchildren and whether this varied among overweight, obesity, children in Reception, children in Year 6, and region. MethodsSecondary subgroup analyses at a local authority level (n=324) were conducted with data obtained from the National Child Measurement Programme 2011–12 to 2014–15, IMD 2015 domains including a supplementary index (Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index [IDACI]), and 2011 Census data. Univariate analysis was used to investigate the association of IMD domains with overweight–obesity, with predictors (p<0·05) incorporated into multiple linear regression models. FindingsAfter adjustment for significant (p<0·05) confounders, mainly region and ethnicity, all IMD domains were associated with overweight–obesity (p<0·0001), and a positive linear association was observed in both Reception and Year 6, apart from barriers to housing and services for all age and weight categories and crime in overweight children in Reception. This was more evident for obese than overweight children, and children in Year 6 than in Reception. Overall IMD and IDACI showed the strongest overall associations with childhood overweight–obesity, but health, education, and employment showed the strongest associations for certain age and weight categories, and a regional variation was seen. InterpretationOverweight–obesity is multifactorial, and a national holistic approach to control childhood overweight–obesity is required. Although overall IMD and IDACI scores were most strongly associated with childhood overweight–obesity and should still be used as a measure of deprivation, other IMD domains can also be considered in public health interventions for childhood overweight–obesity to enable effective identification of all at-risk populations. FundingNone.

Rural/Urban Area Differences in the Cognitive Abilities of Primary School Children in England

Recent research finds that the higher academic performance of rural adolescent pupils in England is due primarily to selection. Yet little is known about whether this applies to primary school children. This study examined the cognitive abilities of primary school children in areas with varying levels of rural and urban settlement, after accounting for factors associated with children's abilities and families' selection into areas. Remaining differences were investigated with area human capital, based on the percentage of residents with a university degree. These relationships were tested using data from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study. Cognitive abilities were measured at age 7 with the British Ability Scales II and the National Foundation for Education Research Progress in Maths 7 test. Two-level regression models were fitted whereby children were nested within local authority districts. After adjustment, there were no area differences in maths scores. However, children in areas with a mix of rural and urban settlement had higher non-verbal scores, explained by the level of area human capital. Children in major urban areas such as London had higher reading scores, a difference unexplained by area human capital. Selection explained most rural/urban area differences in young children's cognitive abilities in England. However, the presence of university-educated adults in an area may be an important pathway of some rural/urban area ‘effects’.

Developing reading achievement in primary learners of French: inferencing strategies versus exposure to ‘graded readers’

All primary school children in England are to be entitled to learn a foreign language by 2010, based on the belief that an early start is beneficial for language learning in the long run. However, the evidence of the benefits of an early start is inconclusive, and it is also unclear what type of curriculum and pedagogy would be most appropriate for these young-beginner learners. This pilot study of Year 6 (ages 10–11) children learning French aimed to provide some initial evidence that a literacy-based component has a place in a primary language learning curriculum. A group of learners were given an intervention comprising some special materials designed to develop their ‘inferencing strategies’ when confronted with new or unfamiliar French words in short texts. This group was compared with a group of learners who were simply exposed to a diet of ‘graded French readers’ without any strategy instruction. Both groups were, in turn, compared with a control group which continued with their normal learning experience. Both the inferencing strategies group and the graded readers group made significant advances in their reading comprehension, but, further, the inferencing strategies group outperformed the graded readers group in inferencing ability and in the learning of function words. The findings suggest a need to pursue this area of enquiry further with a larger and more controlled study.

Talking about sex

Patsy Mill discusses the government′s conclusion that primary school children in England should be given basic sex education lessons

Primary modern foreign languages: an overview of recent research, key issues and challenges for educational policy and practice

There has never been a UK-wide policy for primary modern foreign language provision. Scotland, which has for many years managed its educational affairs autonomously, introduced foreign languages into its primary schools over a decade ago. Wales has formulated its own primary and secondary curriculum with due respect for Welsh, tending to give greater priority to its national language than other languages. Northern Ireland, similarly, has had to take account of its indigenous language and has never developed a foreign language programme for young learners. Recent government documents relating to England, however, have outlined an entitlement for all primary-school children in England to learn a language by 2012. In order to achieve this, the DfES has provided additional funding for 19 LEA-led Pathfinder projects to identify sustainable and replicable models. It is appropriate at this point to review the current situation in order to gauge progress and development. This article, written by a research team funded by the DfES to evaluate the Pathfinder projects, outlines the national and international research context, the current national context and the key issues and challenges facing these local education authorities.

Minerva: April 2003

Rabbit sperm will always swim towards the heat in a laboratory mock up of a fallopian tube. The Israeli scientists who discovered this think that human sperm might do the same, guided to their target like small, heat seeking missiles ( Nature Medicine 2003;9:149-50). Thermotaxis, they say, has the potential to guide sperm over longer distances than chemotaxis, which probably only works for the last few millimetres. The next stage of reproduction—implantation of an embryo in the uterine wall—has always been something of a mystery. Laboratory research on human endometrium now suggests that embryos stick to endometrium in the same way as leukocytes sometimes stick to vascular endothelium, by covering themselves in proteins called selectins. When receptive, endometrial cells express oligosaccharide receptors that interlock with selectins, capturing the embryo as it floats by ( Science 2003;299:405-8). A survey of primary school children in England and Sweden confirms what many parents already know—that school toilets are dirty, smelly, and dangerous. A quarter of the boys and half the girls surveyed say they dont go to the toilet at school because, among other things, they are afraid of bullies kicking the door in or pushing their heads down the toilet ( Child: Care, Health and Development 2003;29:47-51). Swedish children call …

Social‐Cognitive Factors in Childhood Social Anxiety: A Preliminary Investigation

The present study addresses the social cognition of socially anxious children, with particular emphasis on their ability to understand others’ mental states in interpersonal situations. The heterogeneous sample used in this preliminary investigation consisted of 63 primary school children in England and the USA. The English children were from a mainstream classroom of 8‐ to 9‐year‐olds, while the children from the USA ranged in age from 6 to 11 years and had been selected by school district officials for a variety of social interaction difficulties. All children completed measures of social anxiety, shy negative affect, and various social‐cognitive abilities, and teacher ratings of social skills were additionally available for the USA subgroup. Results showed that feelings of social anxiety are not associated with any basic deficit in the understanding of recursive mental states which concern facts about the physical world. However, there was evidence that socially anxious children—particularly those with high levels of shy negative affect—do experience specific social‐cognitive difficulties in understanding the links between emotions, intentions, and beliefs in social situations. Providing further support for this link, socially anxious children were rated by their teachers as poorer than non‐anxious children only on social skills that require insight into others’ mental states. Directions for further examination of this complex interplay between cognitive and emotional factors in the development of social anxiety are discussed.

Fruit: comparisons of consumption, attitudes, knowledge and preferences of primary school children in England and Germany

Primary school children's fruit consumption and attitudes, knowledge and preferences regarding fruit were investigated using interview techniques in schools in England (Nottinghamshire) and Germany (north east), and analysed on the bases of culture, sex and social class. Children from both countries had strong positive attitudes towards increasing fruit consumption and differed little in their ability to correctly identify five fruits (including tropical fruits). Fruit preferences also showed many similarities, with more than 95% of children from both Germany and England choosing apples as fruits they liked, followed closely by strawberries, oranges, pears, grapes and bananas. Fruit consumption by German children was, however, higher than English children both at breakfast and in school breaks. Strategies for increasing fruit consumption in English children are discussed in relation to the findings obtained.

Children's choice of drawings to communicate their ideas about technology

This study examines children's choice of drawing to communicate their understanding of the concept “technology”. The study explored whether the children's drawings accurately reflected the depth and range of their understanding of technology in a way that was interpretable by others. Data were collected from 314 primary school children in England and 745 children in Western Australia. Children were invited to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding about technology by responding to a writing/drawing activity and a representative subsample were then interviewed about their responses. About two-thirds of children's responses to the activity included drawings. Children held a wide range of ideas about technology and only rarely was a drawing difficult to interpret. Although overall the drawings reflected the range of children's ideas, sometimes they did not reveal the depth or breadth of an individual child's understanding. Consistent with the ideas represented in the drawings, the interviews found that younger children held simpler ideas about technology, while older children held more complex, and sometimes quite abstract concepts of technology. A notable difference between the two countries was the emphasis on “design and make” and a smaller proportion of no response in the English sample, reflecting the greater length of time technology education has been implemented in England compared to Western Australia.