What does it mean to extend learning beyond the confines of the classroom? And what activities are there that might help young people foster critical life skills, boost self-esteem, and pave the way for personal success? In our latest blog, our West Midlands Programme Manager, Elliott Dowell, gives us his perspective on extracurricular activities and their importance for young people today.

On the value of extracurricular activities in schools

by Elliott McDowell, West Midlands Programme Manager

We talk regularly about the importance of raising grades for young people to improve their outcomes down the line. We often hear or read discussions about boosting teacher retention rates, ameliorating pupil behaviour, and rebuilding our decaying school buildings. These are all fundamental to getting our education system back to where it needs to be.

Yet, there is one educational challenge that is rarely discussed in the news cycle: getting young people involved in extra-curricular activities.

I was fortunate enough to attend an independent fee-paying grammar school, therefore the opportunities I had to explore activities outside the classroom, were far from the norm. And yet, they should be the norm; it should not be particularly unusual for a secondary school to have a football pitch, a tennis court, or a dedicated theatre space. I’m not embarrassed or ashamed I had access to such resources, merely frustrated that most children in the UK are not afforded the same opportunities.

I’m an advocate for extracurriculars at school because the activities that bring me the most joy in my late twenties remain those that I got to first try out as a teenager. Every other Monday, I join an improv theatre jam session with friends, most Friday evenings, I play 7-aside football, and in the summer months, I play doubles at my local tennis club. I mention this not to big up my social calendar but rather to make the point that I knew, after leaving school, there were a few things outside the classroom that I enjoyed, which then helped me to find community as an adult.

The Social Mobility Commission published a report in 2019, and, in a more recent longitudinal study from the Education Policy Institute, both highlight that, predictably, it is disadvantaged pupils who tend to miss out on these opportunities at school. Alongside the clear short-term benefits of having an activity at school you enjoy, participation in these extracurriculars is associated with future progression to university and full-time employment. Employers increasingly look for evidence of soft skills and well-rounded candidates. Sam Friedman and Daniel Laurison’s excellent book The Class Ceiling also shows how these extracurricular fraternities are where many adult friendships are formed, and where opportunities for career progression can often come about through connections made during that shared activity.

There are undeniable challenges to boosting pupil engagement with extracurriculars: funding is notoriously tight, and many schools, particularly those in towns and cities, may lack the space for sports fields. Yet, I still think the argument for allocating greater funds to extracurriculars is strong. There is currently both a behavioural and attendance crisis in schools, with a significant minority of pupils feeling no motivation to attend regularly. Having an after-school club to look forward to, something to help you get through the day, can be the difference for many children, between showing up to school and thinking it’s not worth the effort. In an age dominated by technology, extracurricular activities offer a valuable break from screens and a crucial outlet for stress relief, creativity, and emotional well-being.

Increasing the extracurricular offer can be a relatively small financial outlay for schools, but if done in a way that caters to the student community, it can positively impact pupil attendance and behaviour in the short term and wider life outcomes in the long term.

A greater breadth of extra-curricular options for pupils could alleviate many of the issues that hamper our education system. Extracurricular activities are no panacea, but they’re part of the solution.

Elliott McDowell