Children & Young People

Charting a path to clean air: A community-centred approach to active travel policy

By Sheena Cruickshank Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Urban Posted: January 30, 2024

Greater Manchester has amongst the worst air quality in the UK. Air pollution causes many health problems, as well as worsening pre-existing health conditions. Increasingly, Greater Manchester residents are concerned about poor air quality and want actions to be taken. Yet, budgets that could support change are under more and more constraints. In this article, […]

Mapping pathways to learning

By Claire Forbes Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Cities and Environment, Education, Levelling up Posted: December 7, 2023

How to raise educational outcomes and solve the entrenched attainment gaps between more and less affluent young people has long been a policy concern of successive governments. As the current government moves away from place-based approaches and towards curricular reform to address these gaps, Dr Claire Forbes will suggest that more needs to be done […]

Supporting vulnerable children over primary-secondary school transitions

By Charlotte Bagnall Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted: November 9, 2023

The number of young children experiencing poor emotional wellbeing is increasing rapidly, most acutely for vulnerable children, such as those with special educational needs (SEND), experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), in receipt of Pupil Premium Funding (PPF) and have been or are at risk of being excluded and/or suspended. In this article, Dr Charlotte Bagnall […]

Making the local matter: How the forces of power, poverty and place shape schools and schooling

By Carl Emery and Louisa Dawes Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Education Posted: October 25, 2023

In 2020/21, 3.9 million children in the UK are living in relative poverty (in households with an income less than 60% of the median household income). While policy aims to address the attainment gap linked to poverty, the current approach will take 500 years to close that gap. In this article, from our Power in […]

A place to #BeeWell: Neighbourhood effects on young people’s wellbeing

By Neil Humphrey Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Devo, Education, Health and Care Posted: October 19, 2023

There is a public health crisis in young people’s wellbeing. Approximately one in six young people experience high levels of emotional difficulties that are likely to warrant significant additional support. A number of factors can impact wellbeing, and the neighbourhood in which a young person lives is one of them, with differences seen across Greater […]

Re-skilling places: A new approach for reducing regional inequalities

By Eric Lybeck Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Devo, Education, Growth and Inclusion, Inclusive Growth, Levelling up Posted: October 5, 2023

Current models of education and social mobility take an individualist approach that encourage young people from rural areas and small towns to move to city centres to obtain qualifications and skills. But this approach worsens regional inequalities, as places outside of urban centres are left behind. In this article, from our Power in Place publication, […]

The place of area based education partnerships

By Paul Armstrong and Belinda C. Hughes Filed Under: All posts, Devo, Education Posted: September 26, 2023

Despite successive government initiatives with the declared intent of addressing equity and inclusion within the English education system, significant numbers of children and young people remain marginalized within, or excluded from, schools. This indicates a need for locally coordinated efforts to promote equity in education. One response to these issues is Area-based Partnerships (ABPs) which […]

Calculating the benefits – maths to 18

By Maria Pampaka, Laura Black and Julian Williams Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted: July 20, 2023

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently announced a proposal to ensure that all students continue to study maths to 18, a plan aiming to ‘boost low numeracy rates’, and to leave future school-leavers better equipped for ‘data-intensive jobs’ and managing their finances as adults. In this article, Professor Maria Pampaka, Professor Laura Black and Professor Julian […]

Why do teachers need to think about student experiences of loneliness?

By Pamela Qualter, Rebecca Jefferson and Lily Verity Filed Under: Education, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted: June 15, 2023

Globally, many governments have set an objective to reduce loneliness, including among adolescents. So far, however, the focus has been on individuals, and is most often out of school time. In this article, Professor Pamela Qualter, Dr Rebecca Jefferson, and Dr Lily Verity discuss their work in the UK, and internationally, and argue whole school […]

Starting a new chapter – childhood literacy education

By Rebecca Simpson-Hargreaves Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted: May 25, 2023

In 2022, the government announced a commitment to improve literacy education as part of its levelling up agenda. The ambition to eradicate issues by 2030 has seen a tight focus on literacy skills and mandated curriculums – which neglect to acknowledge the local and individualised contexts in which teachers teach. A lack of resources, funding […]