Challenges for socialization in contemporary Poland. The role of children's universities
Children's University (CU) aims to improve the aspirations, attainment, and skills of pupils aged 5-14 by providing learning activities beyond the normal school day. This trial focused on pupils in Years 5 and 6 (aged 9-11), and activities included after-school clubs, visits to universities, museums, and libraries, and 'social action' opportunities such as volunteering in the community. Local CU teams worked with schools to identify opportunities, and organise and monitor the activities. Children volunteered to take part and selected the activities they wished to attend, with the target of completing at least 30 hours of activity per year. Participation in activities was rewarded through credits, certificates, and a 'graduation' event attended by parents. 68 primary schools participated in this efficacy trial from March 2014 until July 2016. 2,603 pupils reported in an initial survey that they would like to take part in the kinds of activities offered, and these 'volunteer' pupils formed the main comparison groups. 1,452 of these pupils were in the 36 schools randomly allocated to receive the CU intervention, and 1,151 were in the 32 schools randomised to the control group. This project evaluated the impact of CU on pupils' reading and maths in Key Stage 2 tests, and on non-cognitive outcomes such as 'teamwork' and 'social responsibility' measured through an attitude survey. Results were obtained for Year 6 pupils after one year and for Year 5 pupils after two years. The headline findings below are based on the results for the 1,258 Year 5 pupils after two years. Surveys and interviews were conducted to explore other aspects of the intervention such as: participants' feedback, challenges of implementation, and control group activity. This trial was jointly funded by the Cabinet Office.
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