Skip to content | Accessibility Information

22 June 2007

Sport aids academic performance

10 year study links PE with exam success

CHILDREN who are physically active are up to eight times more likely to excel at exams, Manchester Metropolitan University research shows.

Active 16-year-olds outperform classmates in English, maths and science tests, according to the early findings of a 10-year study by MMU's Institute for Sport and Physical Activity (Mispa).

Researchers have followed the progress of more than 3,500 pupils at Wright Robinson sports college in Manchester. Of the most active girls -those who attended three extra-curricular sports clubs a week - 43% achieved an A* to C grade in GCSE maths.

Of the least active, who did not attend any sports clubs, only 5% achieved A* to C grades. For boys, the same comparison resulted in 33% achieving an A* to C in maths compared to 5%.


English and science

In English, 63% of the most active girls got a good GCSE grade compared to 15% of the least active. For boys, the figures were 26% compared to 16%.

And in double science, the comparison was 81% to 29% for girls and 50% to 36% for boys.

The results are from exams taken in 2003, after tracking pupils from Year 7 to Year 11.

Results from subsequent years, due to be published next year, follow the same pattern, said Dr Gillian Burgess, a senior research fellow at the Manchester Institute of Sport and Physical Activity, which is part of MMU.

Confidence

"There are some massive differences in exam results," she said. "I am not saying it is solely down to those pupils being physically active, but it’s a contributing factor. Higher physical self-worth and self-esteem leads to higher confidence. This makes pupils more likely to succeed physically and academically."

Dr Burgess’s study also found that the focus on team and competitive sports in schools turns off large numbers. When pupils, particularly girls, are given a chance to do exercise such as aerobics, trampolining and dance, they are more likely to participate, she said.

More more information on the Wright Robinson study, contact Dr Gillian Burgess or Andrew Ramwell, director of the Manchester Institute for Sport and Physical Activity on 0161 247 4624/1961.