Don’t take your eye off the ball: enhance exam chances by keeping up sport while revising
PARENTS should not stop children playing sport in the run-up to exams because it has no negative impact on results, according to a study.
Taking part in competitive team games as GCSE and A-level exams loom will have no negative effects on a teenager’s grades, claimed research commissioned by the Headmasters’ & Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC).
The study analysed the GCSE results of 1,482 students from 19 independent schools, and examined the effect that participation in sports such as badminton, cricket, hockey, netball, rugby and tennis had on their results.
Prof Peter Clough, of Huddersfield University, who carried out the research, found that contrary to what some parents believe, “sport involvement does not appear to have any negative implications” on results.
He told The Daily Telegraph: “Overall, taking part in sport appears to have a lot of positive impact. There is no evidence that people involved in sport get any worse GCSE results. But they are happier, psychologically healthier, less anxious and more resilient and robust. Taking part in sport on a regular basis is not doing them any harm and it is doing them good.”
His study found that there was a significant relationship between involvement in sport and mental toughness, as well as a positive association between sport and mental wellbeing. “These findings strongly suggest that students revising for their GCSES or A-levels should not abandon sport,” he said. “Balance is important, and sport plays a vital role in preparing them for the pressures of the exam room. It can even help some thrive when in stressful situations.”
The study also examined whether participation in other extracurricular activities, such as music and drama, had any effect on exam results. It found that these activities had neither a positive nor a negative direct effect on academic performance. But they did not have the same advantages as sport in terms of improving wellbeing and mental toughness.
The profile of “super-performers” was also examined. The very top academic performers played a lot of sport and achieved the highest grades in their class.
The HMC represents 289 of the UK’S most prestigious independent schools, including Eton College, Harrow School and Winchester College. David Elstone, head of Hymers College in Hull and chairman of HMC sports subcommittee, said that it was “understandable” parents were worried about their children taking time out of revision.
But he added: ‘‘My 34 years’ experience as a teacher and head tells me that sport significantly boosts the confidence, resilience and performance of young people in the classroom. I am delighted that this is borne out by Prof Clough’s research.”