We will put regular sport and a trusted adult into the school week for 800 children, in London primary schools where most qualify for free school meals. A before-and-after study comparing intervention and control schools will track impact on mental health, attendance and attainment.
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Children growing up in poverty arrive at school already behind, and the gap widens every year. Nearly half the GCSE attainment gap is set by age 11 (EEF & EPI, 2025), and a leading cause is absence, with underserved pupils missing the most school (EPI, 2025). These same children are the least likely to meet the CMO’s recommended level of daily activity (Sport England, 2025), and they are four times more likely to face serious mental health difficulties (Mental Health Foundation, 2025).
We will place skilled youth workers, trained as coaches, in each school to deliver regular weekly sport. Trained in Social and Emotional Learning, they will build confidence, connection and self-control, becoming trusted adults for these children. A pre and post intervention study on 240 of the children in this project, with a comparison group, will track gains in wellbeing, activity, attendance and attainment.