Pupils from unhealthy homes 'miss more school'

CHILDREN who lived in overcrowded or damp homes missed three weeks more school than other pupils over the course of their education, a study has found.

- 

Pupils living in poor quality homes tend to be more likely to experience health problems and therefore are more likely to miss school, researchers from University College London (UCL) and City St George's, University of London said.

Pupils in houses of lower quality from a cohort of 7,000 also did worse in their English and maths exams.

Lead author Dr Gergo Baranyi, of the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, said poor quality housing affects educational outcomes as well as health.