Boys came out better in the study than girls

The study showed that after one academic year, sports college pupils' confidence grew significantly compared to those at a comprehensive school.

The Northumbria University findings are considered relevant in the wake of government moves to tackle obesity.

However, the study showed boys gained more from sports colleges than girls.

The results revealed that the effect was considerably more noticeable in boys than girls, with male pupils reporting much greater changes in physical self-worth.

Sports colleges are part of the government's specialist schools system and are intended to raise standards of achievement in physical education, leading to an improvement in GCSE grades across the whole school.

Attractive bodies

The study, carried out at Ashington Community High School Sports College and a non-specialist comprehensive school, both in Northumberland, examined almost 300 Year 9 pupils on entry into the schools and again at the end of their first academic year.

Year 9 pupils undertake about three hours of high-quality physical education per week at Ashington Community High, compared to two hours in non-specialist schools.

The school also runs a wide programme of sporting activities for its pupils during break times and lunchtime.

Researchers used questionnaires to examine the pupils' physical self-perception, including what they thought of their bodies.

Gordon Macfadyen, of the university's division of sports sciences, said: "The findings reinforce the notion that the sports college curriculum is more successful in enhancing aspects of physical self-worth than that in traditional state schools, particularly for male pupils.

Current curriculum

"Attendance at the sports college had a beneficial effect on all components of physical self-worth for the male pupils. In particular, the importance the pupils attributed to sports competence increased substantially after attending the sports college for only one year.

"This was a finding that was not replicated at the control school.

"This indicates that the current curriculum, which has a particular emphasis on sports competence, is successfully achieving its aim."

Kieran McGrane, director of PE & sport at Ashington Community High School Sports College, said: "The boys' results have reinforced the staff perceptions. They seem to be more engaged and happier at school.

"We have also seen a marked improvement in the number of pupils studying PE at GCSE level."

The research team now want to examine why the female pupils' results were not as positive as the male results, and establish a way to redress the balance.