What impact do after-school activities have on children’s and youngsters’ learning?

Educational leisure has been identified as an influential factor in the cognitive development of children and adolescents, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, there is a very heterogeneous array of after-school activities and a diverse range of entities organizing them, meaning that the quality of these educational leisure activities varies significantly, as do their impacts. This review of the evidence questions the point to which after-school activities work towards improving academic performance and psychosocial skills, and which programmes are most effective.