Project Overview
This project will explore the main determinants of educational achievement at the ages 11 and 14 years.
We will also study the routes of educational ‘success’ for different groups of children when also looking at their background and any impact this may have on their educational experiences.
Previous research in Wales using the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) has shown, for example, the limitations of the free school meal indicator to properly identify factors that are associated with low levels of educational achievement.
That previous analysis only studied educational achievement up to the age of seven years (and the end of Key Stage 1). We are extending this analysis of approximately 1,700 pupils in Wales from the MCS to study their educational progress and levels of achievement by the age of 14 years (at the end of Key Stage 3).
We will also link with health-related data (based on administrative health records – GP event data) to further explore the determinants of educational attainment and the association with children’s health.
