The 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) is one of the most important sources of information anywhere in the world on what factors can influence our chances in life.
Government, doctors, teachers, charities and others have used the findings from BCS70 to develop services and policies that help improve people’s education, development and wellbeing. These pages list just a few of the things we’ve learned and how you’ve helped make a difference.
It was not always well known that smoking while pregnant is harmful to the child. BCS70 was one of the first studies to shed light on the effects of smoking during pregnancy, and of parents’ smoking more generally.
BCS70 has helped us to understand the importance of education and learning throughout life, including children’s development in their very early years, schooling, higher education.
Findings from BCS70 on the importance of reading for pleasure have influenced policies and library services around the world.
Successive governments have attempted to tackle Britain’s supposed ‘mobility problem’, and BCS70 has been the leading source of evidence informing the debate.
Research from BCS70 has been instrumental in making the case for policies that support adult learning, in an effort to protect disadvantaged adults from poverty, ill health and marginalisation.
