Boys aged nine turned off school

The report was written for Save the Children and another charity

Boys in disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland are turning away from education as early as nine years of age, a new report suggests.

It analysed the effects of poverty on the education of 200 children from a range of backgrounds.

It also suggests children from poorer area were less likely to go to after school classes or do music or art.

All children worried about testing but children in advantaged schools worried most, the report indicated.

Many pupils surveyed complained about the 11-plus. Those who were doing it found it "stressful" while those who were not said they felt the teachers did not pay them enough attention.

The report, written for Save the Children and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, concluded that most children's experience of school is determined by the level of disadvantage they face.