Do children who move home and school frequently have poorer educational outcomes in their early years at school? An anonymised cohort study.

Frequent mobility has been linked to poorer educational attainment. We investigated the association between moving home and moving school frequently and the early childhood formal educational achievement. We carried out a cohort analysis of 121,422 children with anonymised linked records. Our exposu...

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Main Authors: Hayley A Hutchings, Annette Evans, Peter Barnes, Joanne Demmler, Martin Heaven, Melanie A Hyatt, Michelle James-Ellison, Ronan A Lyons, Alison Maddocks, Shantini Paranjothy, Sarah E Rodgers, Frank Dunstan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070601
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author Hayley A Hutchings
Annette Evans
Peter Barnes
Joanne Demmler
Martin Heaven
Melanie A Hyatt
Michelle James-Ellison
Ronan A Lyons
Alison Maddocks
Shantini Paranjothy
Sarah E Rodgers
Frank Dunstan
author_facet Hayley A Hutchings
Annette Evans
Peter Barnes
Joanne Demmler
Martin Heaven
Melanie A Hyatt
Michelle James-Ellison
Ronan A Lyons
Alison Maddocks
Shantini Paranjothy
Sarah E Rodgers
Frank Dunstan
author_sort Hayley A Hutchings
collection DOAJ
description Frequent mobility has been linked to poorer educational attainment. We investigated the association between moving home and moving school frequently and the early childhood formal educational achievement. We carried out a cohort analysis of 121,422 children with anonymised linked records. Our exposure measures were: 1) the number of residential moves registered with a health care provider, and 2) number of school moves. Our outcome was the formal educational assessment at age 6-7. Binary regression modeling was used to examine residential moves within the three time periods: 0 - <1 year; 1 - <4 years and 4 - <6 years. School moves were examined from age 4 to age 6. We adjusted for demographics, residential moves at different times, school moves and birth related variables. Children who moved home frequently were more likely not to achieve in formal assessments compared with children not moving. Adjusted odds ratios were significant for 3 or more moves within the time period 1 -<4 years and for any number of residential moves within the time period 4-<6 years. There was a dose response relationship, with increased odds ratios with increased frequency of residential moves (2 or more moves at 4-<6 years, adjusted odds ratio 1.16 (1.03, 1.29). The most marked effect was seen with frequent school moves where 2 or more moves resulted in an adjusted odds ratio of 2.33 (1.82, 2.98). This is the first study to examine the relationship between residential and school moves in early childhood and the effect on educational attainment. Children experiencing frequent mobility may be disadvantaged and should be closely monitored. Additional educational support services should be afforded to children, particularly those who frequently change school, in order to help them achieve the expected educational standards.
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spelling doaj-art-d24bb5b906244b6da6190d58be02cbff2025-08-20T03:46:24ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0188e7060110.1371/journal.pone.0070601Do children who move home and school frequently have poorer educational outcomes in their early years at school? An anonymised cohort study.Hayley A HutchingsAnnette EvansPeter BarnesJoanne DemmlerMartin HeavenMelanie A HyattMichelle James-EllisonRonan A LyonsAlison MaddocksShantini ParanjothySarah E RodgersFrank DunstanFrequent mobility has been linked to poorer educational attainment. We investigated the association between moving home and moving school frequently and the early childhood formal educational achievement. We carried out a cohort analysis of 121,422 children with anonymised linked records. Our exposure measures were: 1) the number of residential moves registered with a health care provider, and 2) number of school moves. Our outcome was the formal educational assessment at age 6-7. Binary regression modeling was used to examine residential moves within the three time periods: 0 - <1 year; 1 - <4 years and 4 - <6 years. School moves were examined from age 4 to age 6. We adjusted for demographics, residential moves at different times, school moves and birth related variables. Children who moved home frequently were more likely not to achieve in formal assessments compared with children not moving. Adjusted odds ratios were significant for 3 or more moves within the time period 1 -<4 years and for any number of residential moves within the time period 4-<6 years. There was a dose response relationship, with increased odds ratios with increased frequency of residential moves (2 or more moves at 4-<6 years, adjusted odds ratio 1.16 (1.03, 1.29). The most marked effect was seen with frequent school moves where 2 or more moves resulted in an adjusted odds ratio of 2.33 (1.82, 2.98). This is the first study to examine the relationship between residential and school moves in early childhood and the effect on educational attainment. Children experiencing frequent mobility may be disadvantaged and should be closely monitored. Additional educational support services should be afforded to children, particularly those who frequently change school, in order to help them achieve the expected educational standards.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070601
spellingShingle Hayley A Hutchings
Annette Evans
Peter Barnes
Joanne Demmler
Martin Heaven
Melanie A Hyatt
Michelle James-Ellison
Ronan A Lyons
Alison Maddocks
Shantini Paranjothy
Sarah E Rodgers
Frank Dunstan
Do children who move home and school frequently have poorer educational outcomes in their early years at school? An anonymised cohort study.
PLoS ONE
title Do children who move home and school frequently have poorer educational outcomes in their early years at school? An anonymised cohort study.
title_full Do children who move home and school frequently have poorer educational outcomes in their early years at school? An anonymised cohort study.
title_fullStr Do children who move home and school frequently have poorer educational outcomes in their early years at school? An anonymised cohort study.
title_full_unstemmed Do children who move home and school frequently have poorer educational outcomes in their early years at school? An anonymised cohort study.
title_short Do children who move home and school frequently have poorer educational outcomes in their early years at school? An anonymised cohort study.
title_sort do children who move home and school frequently have poorer educational outcomes in their early years at school an anonymised cohort study
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0070601
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