Nine-year-old girls tend to be more anxious in school than boys despite the fact that their behaviour tends to be better and they are generally more confident when learning, a new report has found.

The report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) looks at the wellbeing of children aged nine and 13 years in relation to school, and from their own point of view.

It reveals that nine-year-old children from middle-class families tend to be happier and less anxious than children from working class families or households where nobody is employed.

Meanwhile, nine-year-old children from immigrant families appear to have a relatively poor experience of school, with many saying they are less happy and more anxious than their Irish peers. They also see themselves as less popular and are more self-critical of their academic abilities and body image.

However overall, the nine-year-olds with the most negative experiences tend to be children with special educational needs (SEN), particularly those with learning difficulties or emotional/behavioural problems.

The report notes that children from smaller schools tend to have a poorer self-image and those taught in a multi-grade setting, i.e. with more than one year group in the same class, tend to be less confident when learning, see themselves as less popular and display poorer behaviour.

The report suggests that this may be because children in multi-grade settings often compare themselves to older peers with negative results.

Not surprisingly, children who are bullied have a poorer self-image. The report also points out that girls who do not see their school friends outside of school are less happy and view themselves as less popular.

However, a child's self-image can be boosted by frequent involvement in sport.

When it comes to the transition to secondary school, primary school experiences are key, the report notes. Those who had a positive experience in primary school have a much better self-image at the age of 13.

Thirteen-year-olds tend to see themselves as more popular than when they were nine years old, however their ability to cope with schoolwork can suffer as greater academic demands are placed on them. This is especially true for girls.

Second-level teachers play a key role at this point. Students who have positive relations with their teachers, in the form of positive feedback and praise, have a much better self image compared to those who are often reprimanded by their teachers.

The report emphasises the importance of supporting teachers through their initial training and then continuous professional development, so that they can learn to use approaches which engage students with different self-images and abilities.

"The quality of relations with teachers plays an important protective role in children's wellbeing within primary school and over the transition to second-level education. A positive and supportive relationship with teachers not only helps students cope with schoolwork but influences how they view themselves more generally," explained the report's author, Emer Smyth, of the ESRI.

The report also highlights that while sport is seen as a positive influence on children, just one hour a week is assigned to physical education (PE) in primary school, and different schools have different access to facilities and extra-curricular sports.

The report, Wellbeing and School Experiences among 9- and 13-Year-Olds, is based on findings from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study and involved over 8,500 children. It was commissioned by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and can be viewed here