4

Student Sports Participation: APS 4

Pivotal to Sport Englands 2008-2011 Strategy is a commitment to getting one million people taking part in more sport by 2012-13, (at the 3 x 30 minute sessions of moderate intensity exercise per week threshold, described hereafter as 3x30). As part of this, we estimate that 300,000 of the new participants could come from across the higher education (HE) and further education (FE) sectors. This paper explores participation by students aged 16 to 29 compared to non-students of the same age group, and uses estimated student population data from HESA (the Higher Education Statistics Authority) and the Data Service (processed by the Association of Colleges) to indicate the volumes of activity by these groups. All notes and definitions are provided at the back of this report and should be read carefully before interpreting the results.

Headline results from APS4: all students (aged 16 to 29)

45%

This chart compares sports participation by students aged 16 to 29 with that of non-students in the same age group. It shows that, for this age group, students appear to have a higher propensity to play sport than non-students. Between October 2009 and October 2010, 30.2% of students aged 16 to 29 participated in at least 3x30 minute sessions of moderate intensity sport per week, compared to 27.3% of non-students of the same age, and this is a statistically significant difference. Based on prevailing estimates of the size of the student population, these results indicate that approximately 874,500 HE and FE students aged 16 to 29 were playing sport at least three times a week, during this period. At the same time, 35.6% of students aged 16 to 29 played no sessions of sport. This compares to 38.8% of non-students in the same age group. Again this is a statistically significant difference. These results indicate that approximately 1,031,500 students aged 16 to 29 played no sport in this period.

% all students aged 16 to 29

40% 35% 30%

% non-students aged 16 to 29

38.8% 35.6% 34.2% 33.8% 30.2% 27.3%

percent

25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

No sessions

some sport (up to 3 sessions per week)

3 sessions per week or more

4
Sports participation by HE and FE students (aged 16 to 29)
This chart shows that FE students aged 16 to 29 appear to participate in slightly more sport than HE students in the same age group. For example, 31.1% of FE students and 29.9% of HE students aged 16-29, participated in at least three sessions of sport per week during the 12 months between October 2009 and October 2010, and this is a statistically significant difference. Based on prevailing student population estimates, these results indicate that approximately 416,300 HE students, and approximately 467,400 FE students, aged 16 to 29, played sport at least three times a week in this period.
No sessions some sport (up to 3 sessions per week) 3 sessions per week or more

% HE students aged 16-29 40% 35% 30%

% FE students aged 16-29

36.0% 34.8%

34.1% 34.2% 29.9% 31.1%

percent

25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

At the same time, 36% of HE students, and 34.8% of FE students, aged 16-29, did not participate in any sport. These results indicate that approximately 500,100 HE and 523,300 FE students, participated in no sessions of sport during this period.

4
Sports participation by HE and FE students (aged 16-29), by mode of study
some sport (up to 3 sessions per week) 3 sessions per week or more No sessions

100% 90% 80% 70%

29.7%

30.9%

31.6%

29.6%

The chart on the left shows sports participation by HE and FE students, broken down by mode of study (full-time and part-time). The latest APS 4 results, for the 12 months between October 2009 and October 2010, show that amongst HE students, slightly more part-time students played sport at least three times a week (30.9%) than full-time students (29.7%). This trend appears to be reversed for FE students of the same age, where more full-time students (31.6%) play sport at least three times a week than part-time FE students (29.6%). This difference may partly reflect the fact that a higher proportion of FE students are aged between 16 and 18 compared to HE students.

percent

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

34.4%

32.5%

35.1%

31.3%

35.8%

36.6%

33.3%

39.1%

Full-time

Part-time

Full-time

Part-time

HE students aged 16 to 29 FE students aged 16 to 29

4
Sports participation by gender (aged 16 to 29)
No sessions some sport (up to 3 sessions per week) 3 sessions per week or more

100% 90% 80% 70%

This chart shows sports participation by men and women aged 16 to 29, broken down to show results for those who are students and those who are non-students. It can be seen that sports participation rates are much higher amongst men than women. This mirrors what we would expect to see within the overall adult population as a whole. The data also shows that both male and female students have higher participation rates than their non-student counterparts, i.e. approximately 4.9% more male students aged 16 to 29 take part in 3x30 than male non-students of the same age; approximately 2.4% more female students aged 16 to 29 take part in 3x30 than female non-students of the same age. This suggests that the education setting may partially mitigate against drop off in sports participation by young people. The rate of those doing no sport amongst these groups varies greatly between males and females, with almost half (49.6%) of female non-students doing no sport compared to just under a quarter (24.8%) of male students.

22.0% 39.0% 34.1% 32.2% 36.5% 36.3%

19.6%

30.8%

percent

60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

45.8% 24.8% 29.5%

49.6%

students

non-students

students

non-students

Males aged 16 to 29

Females aged 16 to 29

4
Sports club membership and sports tuition
Club Membership*
35% 30% 25%

28.9%

31.0% 27.6%

20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

This chart shows that for the 12 months to October 2010, a slightly greater percentage of FE students aged 16 to 29 were members of a club in order to play sport, compared to HE students of the same age. This may reflect a more structured environment within elements of the FE sector (for instance sixth form college where students are likely to be living at home). Both HE and FE students aged 16 to 29 had a higher propensity to be club members than non-students of the same age. Based on prevailing student population estimates, these results indicate that approximately 402,100 HE students and 466,000 FE students in this age group were members of a club in order to play sport, during this period.*

percent

HE students aged 16-29

35% 30% 25%

FE students aged non-students aged 16-29 16-29

Tuition*
28.1% 29.9% 24.7%

20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

The chart to the left shows that, for the same period, sports tuition rates showed a similar picture to club membership: a slightly higher percentage of FE students aged 16 to 29 received tuition from an instructor or coach to improve their sporting performance, compared to HE students of the same age. Again, both HE and FE students aged 16 to 29 had a higher propensity to receive tuition than non-students of the same age. These results suggest that approximately 391,000 HE students, and 450,700 FE students in this age group, received tuition between October 2009 and October 2010

percent

HE students aged 16-29

FE students aged 16-29

non-students aged 16-29

*Note: please refer to the notes pages at the end of this document for the APS questions that these results are based on

4
Organised sports competition and sports volunteering
35% 30% 25%

Competition*
27.2% 22.1% 22.5%

20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

For organised sports competition, HE students aged 16-29 showed a similar participation rate to non-students of the same age, but FE students showed a higher participation rate than both of these two groups. Between October 2009 and October 2010, 27.2% of FE students aged 16 to 29 took part in organised sports competition, compared to 22.5% of non-students and 22.1% of HE students of the same age. Based on prevailing student population estimates, these results indicate that approximately 307,100 HE students and 409,000 FE students in this age group, took part in organised sports competition during this period.

percent

HE students aged 16-29

FE students aged 16-29

non-students aged 16-29

35% 30% 25%

Volunteering*
This chart shows that for the 12 months to October 2010, both HE and FE students aged 16 to 29 had a higher propensity to take part in voluntary sports work, than non-students of the same age. During this period 11.6% of FE students, 9.1% of HE students, and 7.7% of nonstudents, aged 16 to 29, did some volunteering in sport.
11.6% 9.1% 7.7%

percent

20% 15% 10% 5% 0%

HE students aged FE students aged non-students aged 16-29 16-29 16-29

These results indicate that approximately 127,000 HE and 174,200 FE students in this age group, volunteered in sport between October 2009 and October 2010.

*Note: please refer to the notes pages at the end of this document for the APS questions that these results are based on

4
Top sports played by HE and FE students
Looking at the indicative APS 4 Q4 results for HE and FE students separately, the top 5 sports for HE students (based on the rates of HE students of all ages participating) are: swimming athletics (which includes running) football cycling badminton The top 5 sports for FE students (based on the rates of FE students of all ages participating) are: football swimming athletics cycling badminton These may be subject to change with the publication of APS 5 results (quarter 2), which are due for release in June 2011. For a further explanation please refer to point 6 on the notes and definitions page.

4
Trends in student participation over time
Full Time HE and FE Students Participation for APS2 and 4, and Full Time (FT) and Part Time (PT) data for APS4 at 3 x 30 minutes
1,400,000 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 600,000 400,000 200,000 0

HE and FE Participation
APS 2 demonstrated that 357,300 full-time higher education students were participating in sport for three sessions of at least 30 minutes per week. The latest APS 4 data demonstrates that 366,300 fulltime higher education students (an increase of approximately 9000) are participating in sport for three sessions of at least 30 minutes per week. APS 4 also demonstrates that 530,000 full-time and part-time higher education students are participating in sport for three sessions of at least 30 minutes per week. APS 2 demonstrated that 266,500 full-time further education students were participating in sport for three sessions of at least 30 minutes per week. APS 4 data demonstrates that 271,500 full time further education students (an increase of approximately 5000) are participating in sport for three sessions of at least 30 minutes per week. APS 4 also indicates that 685,100 full-time and part-time further education students are participating in sport for three sessions of at least 30 minutes per week.

APS2 FT APS4 FT APS4 FT/PT

HE

FE

HE & FE

Notes and definitions

To find out more about the sports participation indicator and the one million target, please see the briefing note on Sport Englands website: http://www.sportengland.org/research/active_people_survey/active_people_survey_3/idoc.as hx?docid=65e2f302-dbfb-49b2-b7bd-a05bb087cfc3&version=2 The latest Active People Survey results (APS4) relate to the period between October 2009October 2010; 188,400 adults in England (aged 16 and over) were interviewed by telephone. 1. Definition of sport sessions A session of sport is defined here as being at least 30 minutes of at least moderate intensity. APS does not identify where sports are played and so cannot distinguish whether students are playing sport in university or college facilities or at facilities run/ managed by other operators. 2. Definition of organised sports Figures for club sport are derived from the APS question; In the last 4 weeks, were you a member of a club, so you can participate in any sports or recreational physical activity? Figures for tuition are derived from the APS question; In the last 12 months, have you received any tuition from an instructor or coach to improve your performance in any sports or recreational physical activity? Figures for organised competition are derived from the APS question; In the last 12 months, have you taken part in any organised competition for any sports or recreational physical activity? Figures for volunteering are derived from the APS question; During the last 4 weeks have you done any voluntary sports work? 3. Definitions of HE and FE student groups in APS 4 In the APS 4 survey, HE students are defined as those studying with or at a university or other higher education institution. FE students are defined as those studying with or at a sixth form college, or further education college or other further education institution. Students at school sixth forms are not included in this report. 4. Student data used to estimate volumes of students participating in sport These are the best estimates currently available (as of February 2011) and are taken from two official data sources as outlined below. All estimates are rounded to the nearest 100. Estimates of HE student participants are based on HE student data provided by the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA). For APS 4, HESA data for 2008/09 has been used. Time-lags in the release of student data means that it has not been possible to use the most appropriate figures (i.e. 2009/10 HE student numbers for APS4). The HESA data used counts all students aged 16 to 29 based at English HEIs and relates to instances of engagement with an institution. This means they are not a direct count of student numbers as an individual may have more than one such instance of engagement with an institution. Instances of engagement are therefore likely to exceed the number of students. However, HESA data is the most reliable source of student numbers in existence. Breakdowns of 16 to 29 year olds HE students by mode of study and gender are also provided by HESA on request. For more details see www.hesa.ac.uk Estimates of FE student participants are based on FE student data provided by the Data Service and analysed by the Association of Colleges. For APS 4, data relating to the year 2008/09 has been used for consistency with the HE data (see above). The FE data counts students on HE based-courses at English sixth form colleges, colleges of further education and specialist colleges. It does not count those taking work-based courses such as Train to Gain and Apprenticeships. As with the HE data, student instances are counted rather than individuals so the number of instances will be greater than the number of students. Again, this is the most accurate student data that is available. Data for students aged 16 to 29 has been provided by the Association of Colleges as well as further breakdowns of these by mode of study and gender. For more information see www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/. In addition to the AoC data on FE students, the total number of FE students used in this document also reflects FE students aged 16 to 29 enrolled in courses at HE institutions in England. These figures are also published by HESA. 5. Why are most of the results in this report for 16 to 29 year olds and not for all ages? In this report, participation rates and estimated participant volumes are mainly given for the student populations aged between 16 and 29, rather than for students of all ages. This approach has been taken as a large proportion of both HE and FE students who were surveyed within APS 4 fall into this age band. For example, looking at the age profile of students within the APS4 (quarter 4) survey sample, 67.3% fall within the age band 16 to 29, compared to16.6% of non-students. By simply comparing students of all ages against non-students of all ages, we are comparing a younger cohort with an older cohort, and any differences may be therefore be an effect of age (the fact that younger people tend to play more sport), rather than highlighting the effects of a person being a student, upon how much sport they do. Using results for the student and non-student populations aged 16 to 29 therefore allows us to control to some extent for age, and better consider the effects of being a student upon sports participation. Within the APS4 (quarter 4) survey sample, the FE student cohort is younger on average than the HE student cohort: 6.5% of survey respondents who were HE students were aged between 16 and 18 compared to 50.7% of survey respondents who were FE students. However, looking at student APS survey respondents falling into the 16-29 age group as a whole, this incorporates 63.4% of HE students and 69.9% of FE students. This may in part explain why the FE student participation rates tend to be higher than for HE, even when controlling to some extent for age. However, for the table of sports-specific results, the base is students of all ages. Looking at these results for students aged 16 to 29 only would have provided very small cell counts in the statistical analysis that may not have been reliable. 6. In the APS 4 dataset, which students are included in all students and HE and FE students categories? One of the crucial points to note about these figures (APS4 quarter 4) is that the number of students included in the all students category is greater than the sum of students included within the HE and FE student categories. This is because there are some survey respondents in the APS4 Q4 dataset who, whilst have indicated that they are students, cannot be allocated further into the HE and FE categories. These students who cannot be allocated as either HE or FE are full-time non-continuous students (e.g. those who have taken a break from full-time studying at some point and then returned later). Improvements were made to the APS questionnaire before the start of APS4 Q3 to resolve this issue, and as of APS5 Q2, a full 12 months data will be available for which the number of HE and FE students sums to the number of all students, as it will be possible to allocate all full-time non-continuous students in this dataset as either HE or FE students . This means that the FE and HE participation rates (and correspondingly non-student participation rates), reported here are subject to some change relating to improvements in questionnaire design until the release of APS5 quarter 2 results in June 2011. From this point forward, the number of HE and FE survey respondents will sum to the total number of all students in the survey.