Children’s University
Children’s University (CU) is a universal school-based programme for children between the ages of 5 and 14. It is delivered in and outside of school and aims to improve children’s aspirations, attainment, and skills by offering learning activities beyond the normal school day.
Children’s University works with learning providers and activity leaders and encourages participation in learning and ‘social action’ activities such as after-school clubs, visits to universities and museums, and volunteering in the community.
The programme is delivered universally and aims to have children complete at least 30 hours of activity per year. Activities are delivered by a variety of approved learning providers, such as museums, theatres and universities. Participation in activities is rewarded through credits, certificates, and a ‘graduation’ event attended by parents.
EIF Programme Assessment
Child outcomes
This programme can affect outcomes for children in Active and healthy, physical and mental wellbeing.
According to the best available evidence for this programme's impact, it can achieve the following positive outcomes for children:
Enhancing school achievement & employment
Improved maths achievement
based on study 1
Improved reading achievement
based on study 1
This programme also has evidence of supporting positive outcomes for couples, parents or families that may be relevant to a commissioning decision. Please see About the evidence for more detail.
Who is it for?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to the following age-groups:
Primary school
How is it delivered?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to implementation through these delivery models:
- Group
Where is it delivered?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to its implementation in these settings:
How is it targeted?
The best available evidence for this programme relates to its implementation as:
- Universal
Where has it been implemented?
- Australia
- China
- England
- New Zealand
- Scotland
Ireland provision
Ireland evaluation
About the programme
What happens during the delivery?
How is it delivered?
- The aim of Children’s University is to deliver at least 30 hours of activity per year. The programme is delivered to pupils both in and out of school by a range of practitioners including school staff, and staff facilitating visits to museums and community centres. Some activites are self-led at home or online.
What happens during the intervention?
- Children signed up to Children’s University select the activities they wish to attend, with the target of completing at least 30 hours of activity per year.
- The activities are all pre-validated and recognised by Children’s University as being of a certain quality and containing elements of structured learning.
- Some examples of CU activities are after-school clubs, visits to museums and community centres, and activities that are self-led at home or online.
- Children are issued with a ‘Passport to Learning’ and collect stamps for participation in activities.
- Children’s achievements are typically celebrated at an end-of-term graduation ceremony.
What are the implementation requirements?
Who can deliver it?
- Every school that signs up to its local Children’s University will have one lead teacher who coordinates the programme. The practictioner can be a Newly Qualified Teacher or a senior member of staff supported by teaching assistants.
- The practictioner spends around 50 hours a year coordinating the programme.
What are the training requirements?
- There are no training requirements. However, typically practictioners will spend anything from a couple of hours to a full day with their local Children’s University Manager to help coordinate the programme.
How are the practitioners supervised?
- Practictioners are supported by their local Children’s University Manager.
- Children’s University Manager work within the education sector and are employed by local organisations. They are coordinated by Children’s University Trust.
- The local Children’s University Manager generally validates local public activities, organises graduation ceremonies and supports school staff.
What are the systems for maintaining fidelity?
Programme fidelity is maintained through the following processes:
- The local Children’s University Manager validates public activities to confirm they meet certain standards.
Is there a licensing requirement?
There is a licence required to run this programme.
How does it work? (Theory of Change)
How does it work?
- The universal, school-based programme is designed to increase children’s school success and a broad range of essential skills by promoting positive identification with school, self-confidence and resilience.
- Extra-curricular activities have been shown to be able to increase positive identification with school and build self-confidence and resilience.
- In the short term, the programme aims to increase attainment in maths and reading, improve confidence and self-belief and improve essential skills.
- In the long term, the programme aims to improve future life chances and aspirations.
Intended outcomes
- Achieving in all areas of learning and development
Contact details
Children’s University
contactus@childrensuniversity.co.uk
About the evidence
Children’s University’s most rigorous evidence comes from a cluster RCT which was conducted in the UK.
This study identified statistically significant positive impact on a number of children.
This programme is underpinned by one study with a Level 2, hence the programme receives a Level 2 rating overall.
Study 1
| Citation: | Gorard et al., 2017; Siddiqui et al., 2019 |
| Design: | Cluster RCT |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Sample: | 1200 children enrolled in Year 5 in North England schools |
| Timing: | Post-test |
| Child outcomes: |
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| Other outcomes: | |
| Study rating: | 2 |
Gorard, S., Siddiqui, N., See, B. H., Smith, E., &White, P. (2017). “Children's University: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary”. Education Endowment Foundation.
Available at
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED581159.pdf
Siddiqui, N., Gorard, S., & See, B. H. (2019). “Can learning beyond the classroom impact on social responsibility and academic attainment? An evaluation of the Children’s University youth social action programme”. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 61, 74-82.
Available at
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191491X1830292X
Study design and sample
The first study is an RCT.
This study involved random assignment of children to a CU treatment group and a business as usual group.
This study was conducted in the UK, with a sample of children aged between 8 and 9 enrolled in Year 4 in North England schools. 39% of the children in the sample were eligible for free school meals.
Measures
Maths attainment was measured using Maths KS2 (achievement test)
Reading attainment was measured using Reading KS2 (achievement test)
Findings
This study identified statistically significant positive impact on a number of child outcomes.
This includes Maths KS2 and Reading KS2.
The conclusions that can be drawn from this study are limited by methodological issues pertaining to non-equivalent groups, and the treatment condition not being modelled at the level of assignment, hence why a higher rating is not achieved.