Children news

Children playing football in the sunshine

Loughborough joins global consortium tackling physical inactivity and unhealthy diets of adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Generation H project, funded via a £3 million Euro grant, will focus on improving physical inactivity and unhealthy diets among adolescents, in diverse socio-economic urban settings in Ghana (Greater Accra region) and Kenya (Nairobi), to reduce the risk of them developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in adulthood.

Illustration showing different number, rulers and maths-related tools, and people sitting in and around them.

Maths curriculum backed by cognitive science could ensure no child is left behind on the learning journey

School mathematics teaching is “stuck in the past” and we need to adopt curricula underpinned by cognitive science if we want more students to succeed, says the Director of a UK education network.
A kid on a laptop

Millions do not meet minimum standard for digital social inclusion

Nearly four million households with children in the UK do not meet the Minimum Digital Living Standard (MDLS), according to new research.
a group of children running away together playing sport

Study reveals how sports programmes for young children can combat future youth violence

A study conducted by Loughborough University has examined how sporting interventions aimed at young children can reduce youth crime and violence in London.
Picture of a teenage girl in a yellow jumper writing down maths equations in front of a laptop

Understanding how the brain works can transform how school students learn maths

School mathematics teaching is stuck in the past. An adult revisiting the school that they attended as a child would see only superficial changes from what they experienced themselves.
Noonan Syndrome:

Families living with Noonan Syndrome call for more social support and medical awareness

Families living with Noonan Syndrome say there is a pressing need for more social support and awareness of the rare genetic condition.
Scottish parliament building

New ‘Cost of a Child in Scotland’ research published ahead of final vote on Scottish Budget finds costs are still outstripping additional Holyrood support for families

A new report published today has found a huge gap remains between the cost of raising a child in Scotland and actual family incomes, despite the significant impact of Scottish government policies and lower childcare costs.

a number of humans collectively hold a rugby ball aloft

Prioritise sport’s role in reducing crime, parties told

Political parties must prioritise the contribution of sport and physical activity if they are genuinely committed to tackling crime and anti-social behaviour more effectively, according to new research published today.
Outline drawing of a mother and child

Should I have children? Why society’s idealisation of motherhood benefits no one

Mothers – and non-mothers. Our language creates the falsehood that being with a child is a norm. Words like childless or childfree firmly place the person without a child as the one lacking. Women who decide not to have children are marked as outsiders by our social and cultural norms.
A young girl examines a pot of soil

Children’s geographies researcher joins inclusive leadership for public engagement programme

Katie Parsons, a Research Fellow in Children’s Geographies has been awarded a place on the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Inclusive Leadership for Public Engagement with Research Programme.
a woman holding a pregnancy test

Pregnancy and elite sport: New research published to support athlete partners

Findings from a new study aimed to support athletes during their partner’s pregnancy have been published.
A nursey with children and parents playing

Minimum acceptable standard of living impossible for many families, the public says – cost of a child jumps to £166,000

High inflation pushed the cost of raising a child to £166,000 for a couple and £220,000 for a lone parent in 2023 but the enduring impact of benefit cuts and ongoing price rises have left many parents unable to give their children what the public says is a minimum acceptable living standard, new research shows.

Chantarapeach Ut being interviewed at COY18

Animation on youth-led climate action shown at COP28

A powerful animation co-created by youth and researchers from Loughborough, Hull, Newcastle, and Vietnam National University, is currently being shown at COP28 in Dubai. 
Two children playing with a multi-coloured foam maths game, shaped like squares

Labour’s plan to focus on early maths is solid – gaps in achievement start even before primary school

Politicians in the UK have maths on the mind. The Conservatives intend to extend compulsory maths education for young people until 18.
Sunny design product on a table, the product is shaped like an astronaut with a rocket ship

Student designs sun cream monitor that takes the guesswork out of protecting kids' skin

Parents and guardians may soon bid farewell to the nagging worry of missed spots when applying sun cream to their children's skin, thanks to an invention by a Loughborough University student.

safe sport day image of children swimming

Loughborough research helps protect 50 million young people in sport

Research conducted by Loughborough University has assisted global sports organisations in keeping over 50 million young people safe when playing sport.

a close-up of a football with a player trapping the ball

Loughborough University develops online course for all FIFA football agents to represent minors

All FIFA football agents will have to pass a dedicated online course on working with minors before they are allowed to represent players aged 18 or younger. The course will be offered by Loughborough University, in cooperation with FIFA.

A close up of a neonatal incubator, showing two portholes and a control panel bearing the MoM incubator logo

Graduate inventor of incubator saving babies' lives in Ukraine wins The Princess Royal Silver Medal

Loughborough graduate James Roberts, the inventor of a new neonatal incubator designed, developed and manufactured in Britain that has helped babies thrive in NHS hospitals and across war-torn Ukraine, will be presented with The Princess Royal Silver Medal, one of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s most prestigious individual awards.

Experts in Sport: Improving global child health and nutrition

In this episode of the Experts in Sport podcast, Paula Griffiths (Professor of Population Health) and Emily Rousham (Professor of Global Public Health) sit down with host Martin Foster to discuss their research, focusing on the health and nutrition challenges that lower and middle-income countries experience.

Number of children in poverty living in working households on the rise

An end to the additional support made available during the pandemic has driven up the number of children experiencing poverty to 4.2 million last year (29 per cent of all dependent children aged 0-19), with an increasing number living in working households.

Sport can help to reduce youth offending but the evidence around what works is problematic

Football and other sports are often used as a sport-based intervention – a tool for promoting social inclusion, personal development and youth crime prevention.

Education costs parents at least £39 per week for secondary school kids

New analysis undertaken by the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) – for Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) – shows that parents typically need to find at least £39 per week for a child’s secondary school education and £19 for a primary-aged child.

Loughborough lecturer shares three tips to encourage children to eat their vegetables

As part of the University’s Children and Young People campaign, Dr Clare Holley, a Loughborough Senior Lecturer in Psychology, has shared some tips on how to overcome children’s fussy eating and encourage them to eat more vegetables.

Experts in Sport: The art of representing minors as a football agent

In this episode of the “Experts in Sport” podcast, host Martin Foster sits down with Sports Law lecturer Dr Serhat Yilmaz for a second time.

Artist and filmmaker Katharine Fry

Renowned artist and filmmaker joins Loughborough University to research inherited trauma for upcoming film

Artist and filmmaker Katharine Fry has joined Loughborough University to embark on a unique research project exploring how trauma is inherited through family systems for her next film.