UCL Institute of Education (IoE): The 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) is the third of Britain’s world renowned national longitudinal birth cohort studies.

Data-sharing agreement from NHS Digital registers of approved data releases, 2014–2019. Evidence status: source reported.

Organisation: UCL Institute of Education (IoE)
Source reference: DARS-NIC-371228-Y7S6S-v0.0
Jurisdiction: England
Licence: Open Government Licence v3.0, subject to NHS England terms and exclusions

Register reference: DARS-NIC-371228-Y7S6S-v0.0
Agreement period: not published to no end date published
For commercial purposes (as marked in the register): Not stated
Release files listed by NHS England: 4

Data approved

MRIS - Cause of Death Report
MRIS - Cohort Event Notification Report
MRIS - Scottish NHS / Registration

Objective, as published

The 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70) is the third of Britain’s world renowned national longitudinal birth cohort studies. It follows all those born in a particular week in 1970 throughout their lives, charting the effects of events and circumstances in early life on outcomes and achievements later on. The study is run by the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS), at the Institute of Education, University of London and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Since 1970 there have been eight attempts to gather information from the whole cohort. Over time, the scope of enquiry has broadened from a medical focus at birth, to encompass physical and educational development at the age of five, physical, educational and social development at the ages of ten and sixteen, and then to include economic development and other wider factors at ages 26, 30, 34, 38 and 42. Future sweeps of the study will take place every 5 years. The ongoing success of the study depends on maintaining contact with as many study members as possible. The aim is to trace as many study members as possible in advance of the next wave of fieldwork. CLS will supply the HSCIC with a file of study members and their last known address, extracted from the Centre for Longitudinal Studies (CLS) address database. CLS ask that these details are matched with NHS Registration Data and registered addresses supplied, where available. The data supplied will be entered into the CLS secure address database and used t…

Expected benefits, as published

The 1970 British Cohort Study is the third of Britain’s world renowned national longitudinal birth cohort studies. Each follows a large sample of individuals born over a limited period of time through the course of their lives, charting the effects of events and circumstances in early life on outcomes and achievements later on. They show how histories of health, wealth, education, family and employment are interwoven for individuals and vary between them. The study has its origins in the British Births Survey in which information was gathered about almost 17,500 babies. The original study focused on the circumstances and outcomes of birth but since then the study has broadened in scope to map all aspects of health, education, social and economic development. Forthcoming sweeps will provid…

Source: https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/2019/http://content.digital.nhs.uk/media/22305/Data-Release-Register-April-to-August-2016/xls/Data_Release_Register__April_-_August_2016.xlsx. Captured 2026-10-30.

Limitations: Agreement as recorded in an NHS Digital register of approved data releases (2014–2019), retrieved from the UK Government Web Archive. That register lists releases made in its period and the agreement's purpose statement as it then stood; it gives no agreement dates, and the agreement may have changed since. Imported only where a paper quotes a reference no current register holds.