Child of the North Campaign Highlights Growing Preschool Inequalities in Northern England

A report by Child of the North #ChildrenFirst campaign found glaring school readiness inequalities in Bradford and across the UK. The figures allege a 9.6% school readiness gap between advantaged and disadvantaged regions. Children from Northern regions still feel the brunt of this less, with rates in Inner London at 64.9% as compared to 55.3% in the North West.

Amplifying within local areas, the differences are starker. In Bradford, school readiness varied from 52% in the most deprived neighbourhood to 86% in the more advantaged. Almost half of the teachers who were surveyed felt that the situation was getting worse: Problems cited included toilet training, social engagement and screen time for preschool children. Economic modelling has suggested that early disadvantage accumulates throughout a child's life to become a long-term health burden and constrains economic development.

Findings from Bradford

According to the latest report, Supporting children in the preschool years: A new approach to improving the UK’s health, the Born in Bradford initiative has been leading. Professor Josie Dickerson says when averages are considered, inequalities in child development are often overlooked, and children living in disadvantage require extra support. She highlighted that Bradford had been able to mount more effective interventions through linked data from health, education, and social care in identifying children at risk of poor outcomes. This integrated health education, social care Bradford model is already working locally and could help other regions close the Bradford school readiness gap.

According to Professor Mark Mon-Williams, a third of children are entering school lacking the basic skills to be competent. He stressed a system-level solution to tackle the social determinants of unequal child development. Bradford's early years systems approach was put forward as something that could be scaled nationally to meet the 75% school readiness target.

Bradford Model

Essential support for this cohort study began in Bradford and tracks more than 30,000 children and families. The model consists of three elements.

An outcomes framework at a neighbourhood level, integrating data from all services working with children.

Using Predictive Modelling in Bradford to channel early school readiness interventions using Connected Bradford data modelling to highlight which children are at risk and what support they should be receiving.

Early years Shared Accountability Partnerships that bring health, education, local authorities, police, and voluntary organisations together so their efforts are aligned.

Prevention efforts for preschoolers in Bradford ensure that services are duly targeted, that is, at the most appropriate time, for the right children.

Launch of the Toolkit

The Child of the North #ChildrenFirst campaign will also launch toolkits to help schools, child health workers, and local authorities to take practical actions. These toolkits, running weekly from September to December 2025, provide evidence and recommendations that help to create a nation that works for all children. The plan is that local authorities will download resources from Bradford's Early Years Toolkit and replicate Bradford's Early Years Systems Approach.

Baroness Anne Longfield emphasised that the first years of life are critical for health and opportunity, stating that it has been shown in Bradford what works, and now the approach needs to scale across the UK so that no child will be left behind.

Wider Impact

The reports are based on research from universities across Northern England, including the Universities of Leeds, Manchester, Durham, York, Lancaster, Liverpool, Sheffield, Newcastle, and Bradford. The findings have already fed into the Government's Opportunity Mission to break the link between background and future success.

In sum, the Born in Bradford initiative has demonstrated how Born in Bradford is closing the school readiness gap in deprived areas. The partnership of experts from Born in Bradford with early childhood researchers would enable policymakers and practitioners to invest in early childhood interventions in Bradford and also support multi-agency child development projects in Bradford, as well as funding predictive modelling work for school readiness in Bradford. This evidence shows how Bradford's model reduces inequalities in child development and how the #ChildrenFirst campaign supports early years in Northern England.

Editor’s Note:

This report clearly identifies the problem of school readiness inequity in Bradford and the rest of the UK. The findings from the Child of the North #ChildrenFirst campaign indicate that children residing in disadvantaged areas are significantly less likely to start school with requisite skills. Evidence further reveals that early disadvantage does not wear away but rather accumulates and impacts negatively on health, education, and future opportunities. Born in Bradford, work is extremely important because it shows how joined-up health, education, and social care information can identify those children at the highest risk. This way of working with data across a range of services has enabled Bradford to come up with more effective interventions. The integrated health education, social care Bradford model already shows early evidence of results locally and offers a pragmatic route towards other areas. The early years systems approach framework initiated in Bradford will, indeed, be very nationalised. With predictive modelling, locality-level outcomes, and shared accountability partnerships. Bradford has better aligned service provision to facilitate the timely support children receive. Toolkits under the banner of #ChildrenFirst have been launched for use by local authorities and schools to replicate this model.

Skoobuzz underlines that together, these efforts demonstrate that action based on evidence can reduce inequalities in child development and set all children in the best possible starting line in life.

FAQs

1. What is the Born in Bradford system-wide approach to school readiness?

The Born in Bradford system-wide approach combines health, education and social care data to identify inequalities in child development. It uses neighbourhood-level outcomes, predictive modelling and shared accountability partnerships to ensure children receive the right support at the right time.

2. Why are children in Bradford less school-ready than in other parts of England?

Children in Bradford face higher levels of disadvantage compared to many other regions. Local data shows that deprivation affects early childhood development, with gaps in toilet training, social skills and learning readiness. These inequalities mean fewer children start school with the skills they need.

3. How does Connected Bradford help predict which children need support?

Connected Bradford links data from health, education and social care services. By analysing this information, predictive modelling can highlight which children are most at risk of poor outcomes and what type of support will be most effective. This helps target early interventions more accurately.

4. Which services work together in Bradford’s early years model?

Bradford’s early years model brings together health services, schools, local authorities, police and voluntary organisations. These shared accountability partnerships align efforts across sectors, ensuring that children and families receive coordinated support.

5. Can Bradford’s early years strategy be scaled up nationally?

Yes. Experts argue that Bradford’s early years systems approach could be replicated across England. By adopting its integrated framework and predictive modelling, other local authorities could reduce inequalities and move towards the national target of 75% school readiness.