Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) is a longitudinal birth cohort study, following a nationally representative sample of over 17,000 people born in England, Scotland and Wales in a single week of 1970. Cohort members have been sureveyed throughout their childhood and adult lives, mapping their individual trajectories and creating a unique resource for researchers. It is one of very few longitudinal studies following people of this generation anywhere in the world.Since 1970, cohort members have been surveyed at ages 5, 10, 16, 26, 30, 34, 38, 42 and 46. Featuring a range of objective measures and rich self-reported data, BCS70 covers an incredible amount of ground and can be used in research on many topics Evidence from BCS70 has illuminated important issues for our society across five decades. Key findings include how reading for pleasure matters for children's cognitive development, why grammar schools have not reduced social inequalities, and how childhood experiences can impact on mental health in mid-life. Every day researchers from across the scientific community are using this important study to make new connections and discoveries.BCS70 is run by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS), a research centre in the UCL Institute of Education, which is part of University College London. The content of BCS70 studies, including questions, topics and variables can be explored via the CLOSER Discovery website.How to access genetic and/or bio-medical sample data from a range of longitudinal surveys:For information on how to access biomedical data from BCS70 that are not held at the UKDS, see the CLS Genetic data and biological samples webpage.Secure Access datasetsSecure Access versions of BCS70 have more restrictive access conditions than versions available under the standard End User Licence (EUL).
1970 British Cohort Study: Age 10, Sweep 3, 1980 The 10-year follow-up was the second full national follow-up of the BCS70 cohort. It was designed to review and evaluate mid-childhood health, care, education, social and family environment throughout Britain. A number of considerations influenced the development of the survey instrumentation used. A major factor was the desire to examine 10-year-old children's educational achievement and the ways in which it is influenced by other events, and a wide range of earlier developmental, educational, social and health factors recorded previously on the same cohort and in particular the effects of: pre-school education and daycare; and learning difficulties. Health itself was another major focus of the follow-up, to provide a comparison with information gathered during the 5-year follow-up. The comprehensive nature of the data gathered in this longitudinal BCS study from birth onwards enables examination of the effects on the 10-year child's education, health and general progress, of perinatal problems, serious childhood illnesses and critical episodes in the family or social environment. A separate subset study conducted at the same time, covering 10-year follow-up respondents with special educational needs- see SN 7064. Latest edition information:For the seventh edition (October 2023), a small number of primary identifiers (BCSID) have been changed in the bcs3derived data file to realign them to other BCS70 data. Additionally, a correction to the units was made to the variable label for meb19.1 in the sn3723 data file.
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Some 15 separate survey documents were used, comprising manuals, assessments, self-completion questionnaires, interview schedules, and a medical examination record. The questionnaires were distributed as two packs known as the Educational Pack and the Health Pack. Five types of instruments were used: self-completion questionnaires (completed by the child, parent, and teacher); interviews (with parents); medical examination (of the child); tests (completed by the child); and measurement scales (completed by the child, parents and teachers). Information gathered from parents included: the child's medical history; accidents; hospital admissions; clinic attendance; use of health services; the child at school; child's skills; child's behaviour; parent's level of education; occupation of parents; type of accommodation; household amenities; and type of neighbourhood. Information provided by the medical examination included: disability and chronic illness; height and weight; head circumference; blood pressure; pulse; near and distant vision; audiometry; laterality; and co-ordination. Information provided by schools included: school composition: curriculum; discipline and ethos; teacher's assessment of child's ability and behaviour. Information provided by the study subjects included: academic success: smoking; attitudes to school; food and drink consumed; locus of control; self-esteem; personality; social judgement; and mathematics; reading; vocabulary; writing, copying and spelling tests. Standard Measures The measurement scales employed included: Rutter A Scale of child behaviour deviance; Conners Hyperactivity/Behaviour Scale; Neurodevelopment Scale; Lifeskills Scale; Expressive Language Scale; Reading Test, Mathematics Test, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning Test, Picture Language Comprehension Test; Lawseq (Self-esteem Scale); Caraloc (Locus of Control Scale); Malaise Inventory (Mother).
No sampling (total universe)
Face-to-face interview
Self-administered questionnaire
Psychological measurements and tests
Educational measurements and tests
Clinical measurements
Physical measurements and tests
