An unequal playing field: extra-curricular activities, soft skills and social mobility

Summary

This report highlights disparities in children’s participation rates across a wide range of extra-curricular activities depending on their social background.

The Social Mobility Commission recommends that the government, schools and voluntary organisations: 1) Introduce a national extra-curricular bursary scheme for disadvantaged families, 2) Provide funding to develop and extend voluntary sector initiatives that allow access to activities, 3) Increase the capacity of schools to provide extra-curricular activities and provision of extra information, 4) Improve data collection and continue research into soft skills development