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New research explores the impact of children and young people's advisory groups

17 Apr 2025

Last year we were delighted when master’s student, Katie Gilmartin, chose to carry out her placement-based dissertation with Children in Scotland. Studying an MSC in Social Research at The University of Edinburgh, Katie’s dissertation explored how children and young people’s advisory groups impact the work of national organisations.

After conducting interviews, focus groups and running surveys, Katie’s final paper shared the findings and knowledge gathered with the aim of supporting third sector organisations looking to establish meaningful participation.

Here, we speak to Katie about what inspired her research and how she hopes it will help organisations working with children and young people.

What inspired your research and why did you choose to conduct it with Children in Scotland?

My interest in research and youth participation comes from my own experience as a teenager involved in peer research, where I contributed to several projects researching other young people. This made me appreciate the importance of listening to children and young people and ensuring they have a say in decisions that affect them. I wanted to contribute to this by exploring how organisations can better support young people’s participation.

I chose to work with Children in Scotland because their values closely align with mine. Their focus on collaboration particularly stood out to me, but I also appreciate their commitment to being brave, kind, open, and fair. Their work emphasises meaningful engagement with children and young people, which was central to my research.

How do you hope your research will be used by those working with children and young people?

I hope my research will provide useful guidance for organisations looking to improve how they engage with children and young people within advisory groups. By identifying key areas for improvement, the findings can help organisations create more effective and meaningful participation opportunities.

The research highlights practical steps that organisations can take, including:

  • Strengthening communication between advisory groups and the organisation to ensure young people feel informed and involved.
  • Creating a more flexible and adaptable environment that allows young people to engage in ways that suit them.
  • Recognising that participation should be an ongoing process rather than a one-off event, ensuring young people have a consistent and valued role.

By applying these recommendations, organisations can improve the way they involve children and young people in decision-making, making their work more inclusive and responsive to their needs.

Can you tell us about your experience working with Children in Scotland?

My time with Children in Scotland was really positive. From the start, the team was welcoming, and the environment was supportive. This was my first experience working in an office setting, and it gave me a great insight into a positive professional workplace.

A highlight of my time with the organisation was attending Children in Scotland’s 2024 Annual Conference at Murrayfield Stadium. It was a great opportunity to meet professionals from different sectors and hear about the work being done to improve outcomes for children and young people. It was valuable to see how research, policy, and practice come together in this space.

Now that your dissertation is complete, what's next for you?

After finishing my dissertation, I moved from Edinburgh to Manchester for a job as a researcher at AQA, an awarding body for GCSEs and A-Levels in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. My work involves engaging with schools, teachers, and students, applying my research skills in an educational context.

While my research with Children in Scotland focused on youth participation, my current role is giving me a broader perspective on how research informs education policy and assessment.

This experience is helping me develop new skills, and I’m excited to see how I can apply them in the future.

Read Katie’s full research paper 'Empowering young voices: the impact of children and young people’s advisory groups on national organisations'

About the Author

Katie Gilmartin spent six-weeks with Children in Scotland carrying out her placement-based dissertation on the impact of children and young people's advisory groups.

Empowering young voices

Read the full research paper 'Empowering young voices: the impact of children and young people’s advisory groups on national organisations' written by Katie Gilmartin and developed with Parisa Shirazi.

Read now

Participation and engagement work

Find out more about how we embed the inclusion and participation of children and young people in our work

Click here for more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Interview with Fiona Duncan, Independent Strategic Advisor on the promise

10 Apr 2025

Since 2020 Fiona Duncan, Independent Strategic Advisor on the promise, has been focused on keeping the promise that was made to the thousands of care experienced children, young people and adults who shared their voices and views during the Independent Care Review. With 2025 marking the halfway point of the promise, Fiona discusses tackling barriers, making progress and how she is continuing to listen and act upon the experiences of the care experienced community.

The full interview is included in Issue 7 of Insight magazine.

Interview by Sophie Ward

Sophie Ward: From the outset of the Independent Care Review, the care experienced community was to sit at the very heart of all work to keep the promise. How do you continue to prioritise their views as you progress towards 2030?

Fiona Duncan: Children, young people, care experienced adults and families - in and on the edge of the care system - were at the heart of the entirety of the care review, all its processes and all its outputs. The conclusions were accepted in full in Parliament, across all parties, on the same day, at the same time - it really was a phenomenal moment.

The reports reflect what the care community said, what they need and what matters most to them – I use this to prioritise everything I do. There continues to be a strong thread between what was said during the care review and all actions being delivered today.

There were some significant external, unforeseen circumstances that happened not that long after the conclusion of the care review. We had the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis – these things didn’t impact all members of society equally. I'm staying true to the conclusions of the care review, while also recognising that the world has changed since it was published.

A huge amount of change is happening so people's priorities are shifting with that. It’s important to keep pace, so I continue to listen, and the care experienced community remain at the heart of change.

SW: Plan 24-30, launched last June, discusses how we must ‘shift how change is made’, can you explain the new approach that you have had to take to make progress on keeping the promise?

FD: No child, family or care experienced adult lives in a silo. No child or family or care experienced adult only engages with one system. Perhaps a child gets a bus to school, there’s two systems already. They might be a member of a local club, they might like to go swimming, there are multiple systems around that child. A plan that depends on only one system could entirely miss the point of how people live their lives.

Some folk are uncomfortable with how unorthodox Plan 24-30 is - they prefer a printed document. A lot of people were uncomfortable with how radical the Independent Care Review was too. But previous reviews and plans haven’t worked, so there is a need to do something different. What we’ve designed is the best chance we’ve got.

SW: The first four years of keeping the promise have presented barriers to creating whole system change, how do you plan to tackle these going forward?

FD: To inform the development of Plan 24-30, The Promise Scotland wrote to over 100 organisations with statutory duties asking them how they were getting on and what was getting in the way. Over 160 documents were received with significant issues repeated – whether that was policy, data, scrutiny, risk, or money. Everything identified as a barrier was also presented as an opportunity to accelerate change.

For example, funding can feel like an old fashioned scramble that happened outside a church on a wedding day. Yet, if instead of dedicating resources to chasing, picking up then spending lots
of individual pennies, you will receive the same amount of money in a single sum so you can get on with doing – there would be efficiencies everywhere.

We also analysed how all these are linked. There’s a section in Plan 24
30 called ‘meeting in the middle’ that makes clear how they are both
systemic barriers and opportunities, identifying how they impact on change. Through collaboration we will seek solutions – Plan 24-30 is not a case of one person waving a magic wand, it will take all of us.

SW: What do you think is the single most important action or activity to create the required change that has been identified?

FD: My priority is - and always has been - very much children and young people, families and care experienced adults. What would make the biggest difference to their lives is listening. If you and I are listening to one another with respect, intent to understand and then we act as a result, then things will change. So by listening to children, families, care experienced adults and acting in their best interests, somebody will be working for them and not for the system, resulting in better lives. For that to happen, trusting relationships need to be developed, with love and respect.

It should be simple but it's not, in part because there's not enough resources to dedicate the time needed to develop meaningful relationships and to build that trust. So the workforce feel they're not always equipped to make decisions and that they carry a lot of the risk in making the wrong decision.

Listening is at the heart of the promise and it is a great point to start - but none of the work is quite as straightforward as that.

SW: You began working on the Independent Care Review in 2017, and the plan will run through until 2030. When working on this long-term plan, what helps you to stay focused on the vision first set out in the Independent Care Review? 

FD: This is the most important thing I have ever been asked to do in my life. It comes with the greatest level of responsibility, and I take that seriously.

I am absolutely determined. This is not just a job. When Scotland keeps the promise, there will be generations of children and families who never come anywhere near the care system because our approach to whole-family support is so good and so non-stigmatising that families get it when they need it and it helps them thrive.

And for children who do come into the care of the state - and there will always be children who will need to be looked after outside their family - they will get the most loving and nurturing childhood possible, they will stay with their brothers and sisters wherever safe to do so, and continue their relationships with their families if possible. They will grow up loved, safe and respected and go on to be happy, healthy adults, who can rely on the state to be a good parent to them for all their days.

That is worth focusing on. Through the Independent Care Review, Scotland's children, young people, families, and care experienced adults shared their stories to help make sure that Scotland could make the promise. And I made the promise too. So it's mine to keep in the same way as it's everyone else's to keep.

Fiona Duncan will co-chair day two of Children in Scotland’s Annual Conference on 28-29 May 2025, and had this to say about the event: 

Find more Annual Conference information here.

And to find out more about the promise, click here. 

 

 

About the Author

Fiona Duncan is the Independent Strategic Advisor on the promise

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Insight magazine, Issue 7

The latest issue of our biannual member magazine, Insight, is out now

Click here for more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Keeping The Promise in 2025

Simon Massey is Head of Engagement & Learning at Children in Scotland

Click here for more

Creating a fairer budget process for Scotland

1 Apr 2025

Children in Scotland have responded to an inquiry regarding the Scottish budget process, giving our thoughts on how the process can be improved for the next parliamentary cycle.

This inquiry is of vital importance to Scotland’s voluntary community; funding for the third sector has been lacerated by £177m in recent years, so a strong response from the children’s sector is urgently needed.

The inquiry, due to be published in June 2025, is being carried out by the Finance and Public Administration Committee, which has asked members of the voluntary sector, academics, and members of the public to respond.

How has Children in Scotland responded?

Our Policy, Projects and Participation team have been working hard to deliver a response that covers some of the most important improvements we feel could be made, including a recommendation for earlier engagement with external stakeholders at a point in the process which would allow meaningful influence over budget proposals. This would also increase transparency and communication, allowing for organisations to more effectively plan around possible grants and funding awards.

Similarly, more long-term funding will allow organisations to plan for the future while focusing less time and resources on income generation and more on service delivery. We have seen some progress in this area with the announcement of a two-year funding period for Enquire and the Inclusion Ambassadors, and we would encourage the Scottish Government to consider the benefits this has had and to commit to longer funding cycles going forward.

Perhaps most importantly, we argued the need to include children and young people in the process to ensure their voices are heard and empowered to influence decisions made. The third sector currently engages directly with children and young people, gathering information and opinions that could be used to shape budget decisions, and can inform the Scottish Government on how best to communicate with children and young people at every step of the process.

In a turbulent time for the third sector and society at large, it has never been more important to ensure fair and representative processes, particularly regarding budgets and finance decisions. We commend the Finance and Public Administration Committee for carrying out this inquiry and look forward to working with them to ensure the budget process benefits Scotland’s children and young people and Scottish society as a whole.

Read our full response

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Keeping The Promise in 2025

Simon Massey is Head of Engagement & Learning at Children in Scotland

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The Month of the Military Child: what we can learn from military children

1 Apr 2025

Ahead of Month of the Military Child, Children in Scotland’s Head of Services Billy Anderson discusses the resilience displayed by military children and the lessons we can learn from them.  

Being asked to write about the strengths of any child is always a privilege. It is a three line whip that cracks the pause button on constant analysis of barriers, challenges and injustices. In the Month of the Military Child 2025, Forces Children Scotland are asking all of us to do just that by celebrating the remarkable positivity, bravery, courage and adaptability that this particular group of children show every day. 

I believe that military children have developed extraordinary strengths as a result of their unique experiences and those strengths need to be recognised as a shining example of that thing we call ‘resilience’. 

Resilience is a term often thrown around as something that we need to develop as human beings. I don’t like it when these demands are made of children who are still very much making sense of the world and their place in it. In fact, those children that we demand to ‘build some resilience’ are usually the most resilient of all of us. Their lives have been imposed on them to a  degree where every day they live, think and operate in a state of resilience. This can be draining and exhausting, to a point where the constant demand on the resilience reservoir makes the walls crumble. We usually call this weakening of the walls ‘vulnerability’. The two terms are not as oppositional as you may think, they are actually symbiotic and often exist within the same space, within the same child. 

To put this in the context of military children, we need to think about ‘Mobility’ where a military family relocates from one place to another, resulting in moving  schools for the child or young person either within the UK or a different country. We need to also think about ‘Deployment’ where a family member is away from home for a long period of time carrying out military duties. Both of these features of miliary family life generate equal amounts of vulnerability and resilience. They are essentially times of frequent change that are layered across their young lives with interrupted learning and relationships, increased responsibilities and cultural differences to navigate and increased isolation leading to decreased feelings of belonging.  

For these particular children and their lives of constant change and transition, we need to recognise and celebrate the unique strengths that are developed. It would be far too easy to criticise the lifestyle and miss the positive attributes that it enables. Since the age of 18, I have moved home around 22 times. I am not part of a military family but I can reflect on the positive impacts on my own children and try to extend that to the military child’s mindset: 

  • Home is where the heart is – No matter where we live, we are together and my children value family over and above bricks and mortar. 
  • The world is a bigger place than just ‘home’ – My children have a wider world view on culture and global issues. 
  • Relationships are transient, friendships are forever – Recognising this early has helped my children get the most out of relationships with people in the moment. Friendships are different and people can and will keep in touch over distance and time. 
  • There’s a first time for everything – Having confidence to try new things and not worry about the ‘what ifs’. Being present in the moment and experiencing new things with reduced fear. 
  • Embracing change – seeing change as an adventure and not as a threat. My children pursue change as a familiar state of being and one that can present opportunities. 

Some personal reflections on the qualities I have seen demonstrated by my own children who have a definite strength of character rooted in change and transitions. For military children, I’m sure that many of these strengths are amplified tenfold. The positivity, bravery, courage and adaptability that are the building blocks of that thing we call resilience are embodied by military children and we need to be aware of this, understand it and empathise with it. Make it your goal this month to find out more about military children and specifically hear their voices, experiences and stories. This way, we can make sure that they are seen and supported in a way that keeps the balance between vulnerability and resilience in harmonious check. 

Military children have the same rights as all children. Within these rights they may at times have the right to additional support for learning in the short, medium or long term as their family circumstances may dictate a little bit of extra help to access their education. Our Children in Scotland Services can help! 

My Rights, My Say – A partnership that supports children aged 12 – 15 with additional support needs to have their voices, views and experiences heard in processes that impact on their education. 

Enquire – The national information and advice service for parents, carers & professionals on additional support for learning with a comprehensive website packed full of resources and a dedicated helpline. 

REACH – Enquire’s child-centred and targeted website full of information and resources on children’s rights and inclusion. Check out the REACH TikTok channel too for some fab content. 

Resolve – Scotland’s largest National independent mediation service for parents and carers that support the resolution of conflict between families and schools at the earliest stage possible. 

So, I think there is a lot that we can learn from these exceptional children who deserve to be celebrated not just this month, but in all of our considerations from this point on. How are we including their views and experiences in our transition processes for all children and young people? They appear to me to be experts in this field…now that would be a pretty cool way to use and share those strengths….just a thought! 

If you would like to learn more about the Month of the Military Child, head to Forces Children Scotland. 

About the Author

Billy Anderson is Head of Services at Children in Scotland

Click here for more

Keeping The Promise in 2025

Simon Massey is Head of Engagement & Learning at Children in Scotland

Click here for more

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Children’s Commissioner report signals urgency of education reform

31 March 2025

In a new report released today, the Children and Young People’s Commissioner has urged the Scottish Government and authorities to urgently redesign education.

Commissioner Nicola Killean has made recommendations to improve the education system – warning that too many children are failing to thrive in the current set-up. 

The Commissioner and her team have spent over a year listening to children and young people’s current experiences of learning. The recommendations – which come both directly from children, and from the office – build on existing education reform reports and push for much more urgent and substantial change.

Her recommendations include:

  • fundamental reform of the support and resourcing for children who have additional support needs
  • a co-ordinated and adequately resourced national online education offer to support children who need and can benefit from that option for many reasons
  • more equitable access to subject choice, as children can’t always study the things they want to
  • ensuring the purpose of education is to prioritise the development of a child’s full potential, not be dominated by exam results
  • accelerate the implementation of the Hayward Review, which will reform assessments and qualifications.

Ms Killean said: “Too many children are being let down by our current system. Every child has a right to an education that develops their personality, talents, and abilities to their full potential.

“We’ve had review after review, and the promise of change, but children in school feel no improvement. The pace of education reform has not only been glacial, but it is fundamentally focussed on the wrong areas. Time is being spent on restructuring adult agencies and not on addressing the needs of children within a system that is clearly failing them.

“Children should be at the heart of shaping change to education, working alongside all those adults tasked with delivering it – government, decision-makers, and practitioners. Within education children are the ultimate stakeholders, and they have been very clear that they want change in education to be a priority for the government.

“Many children need improved support – this includes disabled children, children with neurodivergent conditions, and those living in poverty. We can’t deliver a rights-respecting education when children’s needs are not recognised or met."

Children in Scotland's Head of Policy, Projects and Participation, David Mackay, reflected on the report saying:

"This report chimes with what we have heard from children and young people about their experience of education and learning in Scotland. Reform of the education system is urgently needed to ensure children and young people can fully experience their rights under the UNCRC.

"As education reform legislation progresses through the Scottish Parliament, we will be working with the Scottish Government and partners to ensure children and young people's voices, experiences and needs are kept at the very heart of discussions. This report will be incredibly useful in helping us to maintain that focus."

Read Changing our World's 'Education and Learning' Summary Paper > 

The Commissioner’s Young Advisors were involved in the research and have made an accompanying film to the report. They visited schools with the Commissioner to work with children and hear their views.

One Young Advisor reflected after visiting schools: “This is our lives. This is what will impact us not only now...this will impact on our futures. It matters a lot to us, and all young people.”

The report, “This is our lives, it matters a lot”: Putting children’s rights at the heart of education, shares what children told the Commissioner and makes recommendations under the themes of culture, curriculum, personalisation and support, assessment and qualifications, and purpose.

Nicola Killean will co-chair day one of Children in Scotland's Annual Conference, which takes place 28-29 May in Glasgow. Find out more on our conference hub.

Enquire

Find out more about Enquire, the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning

Visit the website

Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

Find out more

Keeping The Promise in 2025

Simon Massey is Head of Engagement & Learning at Children in Scotland

Click here for more

Bold voices breaking new ground: Our Spring issue of Insight is out now

31 Mar 2025

The Spring issue of our bi-annual magazine Insight is now available in print and online for all Children in Scotland members.

This issue brings together bold voices from across the sector who are breaking new ground, whether it’s creating a better future for care experienced children and young people, supporting a group of young Afghan women to have a second chance at an education or changing policy so that all children have an equal chance to flourish.

Here's a look at the in-depth interviews, wide ranging features and opinion pieces that make up our latest issue:

Scotland's 'promise'

With 2025 marking the midpoint of the promise, different perspectives unpack the progress and priorities as we look ahead to 2030.

In a four-page interview, we speak to Independent Strategic Advisor on the promise, Fiona Duncan, on the importance of listening and breaking down barriers.

We also hear from our members about their work to #KeepThePromise in our lead discussion piece.

A remarkable journey

In 2024, media across the world captured the moment a group of young Afghan women flew into Edinburgh airport ready to continue their medical studies after they were suspended by the Taliban. We hear the story of how the students were supported to study on Scottish soil, told by the charity that made it happen.

Addressing the key issues

From education reform and the child maintenance system to campaigning for alcohol-free childhoods, this issue brings together leading voices hoping to galvanise policy change.

With rising concern over online safety and social media use, two experts explore the importance of keeping young people safe online.

Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise Natalie Don-Innes MSP also discusses the importance of diverse lived experience in government and tackling child poverty in our profile interview.

Insight editor, Sophie Ward said: “What we hear clearly from the voices that ring through the pages of this issue is that the path to progress is rarely linear. But what the people, policy and projects in this issue also demonstrate is that with bravery, dedication and shared commitment, even the most challenging of roads can be navigated and positive progress can be made for children and young people.

“We hope this issue provides inspiration to all our members working for children and young people across Scotland.”

Providing a space to share knowledge and best practice, print and digital editions of Insight are published twice a year, with all Children in Scotland members receiving a free copy.

Click here to find out more about joining us in membership

Non-members can subscribe to Insight for just £10 per year, gaining access to two issues – click here to find out more about subscribing.

Insight Issue 7

Find out what's inside the latest issue. Illustration by Juliana Isaza-Correa.

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Annual Conference 2025

Making Space for Voices: Join our Annual Conference in Glasgow on 28 and 29 May 2025

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Ambitious investment needed to meet child poverty targets, says Children in Scotland

27 Mar 2025

New data released today (27 March) revealed whether the Scottish Government is on track to meet the 2030 child poverty targets, as set out by the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act.

The statistics published today show that although interim child poverty targets have been missed, child poverty in Scotland has fallen four percentage points over the past year with relative poverty reduced from 26% to 22%, whilst across the rest of the UK levels of child poverty have risen.

The interim targets measure the Scottish Government’s progress in four key areas: fewer than 10% of children are living in relative poverty, fewer than 5% of children are living in absolute poverty, fewer than 5% are living in low income and material deprivation, fewer than 5% are living in persistent poverty.

Since the introduction of the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act in 2017, the Scottish Government has taken significant steps to improve policy, most notably through the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment which is expected to lift 40,000 to 60,000 children out of poverty.

In the 2025/26 Scottish Budget, the First Minister described the eradication of child poverty as his government’s “top priority” while announcing the scrapping of the two-child limit, a move that was welcomed by Children in Scotland.

Despite this progress, there continues to be agreement across the children’s sector that more ambitious action is needed to meet the 2030 targets. New analysis published by the Institute for Public Policy Research Scotland (IPPR Scotland) earlier this week showed that the Scottish Government must commit to more spending, recommending increased social security payments to families in or at risk of poverty as the most “direct and targeted route”.

The Children’s Sector Strategic and Policy Forum which brings together senior members from across the children’s sector, has continued to call on the Scottish Government to strengthen policies and resources with forum members meeting the First Minister in December to discuss what progressive action was needed.

Responding to today’s official government statistics on child poverty, Children in Scotland’s Chief Executive Dr Judith Turbyne said:

“The data released today leaves me with two key reflections. The first is that I am disappointed that the interim targets have not been met and that many of our babies, children and young people continue to experience unconscionable levels of poverty.

“My second reflection is, however, a more positive one. Some key policies, in particular the Scottish Child Payment, are working and moving things in the right direction.

“The question then has to be, is it feasible that we will be able to reach the statutory poverty targets? And the answer is that it is, but it would require more ambitious investment in the Scottish Child Payment as well as looking at how to boost earnings from work and reducing the housing and childcare costs faced by parents.

“So it can be done, it should be done, and indeed it must be done if we are really to build the Scotland that our children and young people have a right to.

“In my role as Chair of the Children’s Sector Strategic and Policy Forum and through our membership of both the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland and the End Child Poverty Coalition, we will continue to emphasise the need for urgent action and prioritisation so that all children have the opportunity to flourish.”

In a statement on the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland's website,  Director John Dickie said;

“These latest statistics show that Holyrood polices, especially the Scottish Child Payment, are working to shift the dial for children in Scotland in the face of poverty rising to record highs across the rest of the UK. It is obviously disappointing that progress falls short of the interim targets, but the statistics show that when government invests to support families then child poverty will fall.

“The message from the statistics, from the independent experts and from parents themselves is clear. The Scottish Child Payment is working to reduce poverty but a step change is needed in investment to meet child poverty targets. At the same time action is needed to boost earnings from work and reduce the housing and childcare costs that parents face.”

To view the full statistics, please click here 

Keeping The Promise in 2025

Simon Massey is Head of Engagement & Learning at Children in Scotland

Click here for more

Understanding children and young people’s experiences of neurodiversity and mental health and wellbeing

Participation opportunity

27 Mar 2025

Children in Scotland is working with NHS Education for Scotland to develop a series of animations to help adults to understand what it's like for children and young people to experience different issues with their mental health and wellbeing.

Children in Scotland is looking to work with children and young people aged up to 18 years old who are interested in sharing their views about accessing support for their mental health. We are looking to hear about what has worked well and what has not worked so well. These experiences will help us to create a series of ‘composite stories’ based on the real-life experiences of children and young people. All participants will receive a £20 voucher in recognition of their participation.

We’re specifically looking to speak to children and young people on the following topics:

  • Low mood/depression
  • Anxiety
  • Eating disorders
  • Mental health and neurodivergence (e.g., ADHD and ASD)

If you’re working with any children or young people who might be interested in taking part, please get in touch by emailing David Yule, our Policy, Projects and Participation Officer at dyule@childreninscotland.org.uk

Get in touch

If you're working with young people who might be interested in taking part, please contact David Yule, Policy, Projects and Participation Officer

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Participation and engagement work

Find out more about how we embed the inclusion and participation of children and young people in our work

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The role of enrichment on improving school attendance

26 Mar 2025

Rachael Powell, Public Affairs and Policy Assistant at the Centre for Young Lives, discusses new research which shows how enrichment activities benefit young people’s mental and physical health, school attendance and help to foster positive relationships. 

What motivates a child or young person to go to school? With too many children missing out on their education, and those who do attend often feeling disengaged, we need to consider how we can inspire students to look forward to school.

Recent research by the Centre for Young Lives, commissioned by The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and National Citizen Service (NCS) Trust, reveals that enrichment activities can transform school into a place where children want to be and benefit from. Our case studies show a direct link between enrichment and improved attendance, particularly for children and young people who face poverty.

Unsurprisingly, many children and young people we spoke with described enrichment activities as the most exciting part of their week. One young person told us, “I feel different on club days cos I’m looking forward to it. If there’s no club, it’s an average day.”

Enrichment activities, including sports, arts clubs, volunteering, social action and adventures away from home offer students something fun and exciting to look forward to, away from sitting in a classroom. They have been shown to have a positive impact on mental and physical health, wellbeing, positive relationships, learning and development, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Not only are these impacts valuable in themselves, they are also proven to be associated with higher school attendance.

This is especially true for disadvantaged children and young people. Many families struggle to afford extracurricular trips and outings, which means these children miss out on valuable enrichment activities. With a strong association between poverty and school absence, many schools and enrichment providers highlighted to us how these activities can improve attendance for students living in poverty.

Enrichment activities offer a space to foster positive relationships between pupils and teachers, which is associated with a better school experience and improved behaviour. As a result of the enrichment activities, staff at Unity City Academy in Middlesbrough told us that there was a shift in culture and improved relationships between staff and pupils, who were able to see each other in a new light. One staff member said, “Enrichment lets staff see something else in students that they don’t see in the day,” and another said, “Put them in an [enrichment] environment or leadership programme, they’re different students.”

Not only did the enrichment programme anecdotally improve school attendance and reduce rates of exclusions, but the young people felt an improved attitude to school and teachers. One young person said, “When you do enrichment with teachers you build up that connection, that bond,” and another felt their needs were met better, “You’re not sat down like in school, you can talk and move around, which is good if you got ADHD.”

Unity City Academy was just one example of schools and enrichment providers we spoke to who found that enrichment can have positive impacts on students’ attendance, relationships with teachers, and overall wellbeing and development. Many schools are deliberately using enrichment to boost attendance, such as by setting the expectation that good attendance will be rewarded with enrichment activities, holding activities on days with typically lower attendance, or requiring 100% attendance to access a youth centre’s activities.

Along with many other tools that schools need to boost attendance and improve children and young people’s wellbeing, enrichment is key to making children excited about coming to school. Many young people take great joy and many skills from enrichment activities, as well as building relationships and better wellbeing that formal education may not otherwise offer.

We know that many children find school to be a difficult or stressful place to be or feel as though their needs are not met. Some become more disengaged with their learning as it becomes focused more on test results and tick-boxing. By giving children and young people opportunities to explore new opportunities that may not otherwise have been offered to them, school can become a beacon of learning, development, and positive relationships – in short, a place where every child wants to be.

Click here to read the report ‘Beyond the classroom: The role of enrichment in tackling the school absence crisis’

 

About the Author

Rachael Powell is Public Affairs Assistant at the Centre for Young Lives

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Beyond the classroom

Read the new report by the Centre for Young Lives, commissioned by NCS Trust and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award

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A vision for a fully inclusive Scotland

Member blog

26 Mar 2025

In light of the recent Additional Support for Learning report published by Audit Scotland, Celine Sinclair, Chief Executive of The Yard, discusses the importance of providing inclusive education where children with disabilities and their families have an equal chance to flourish.

At just five years old, Rio was struggling in primary one and her mum, Cheryl, was regularly called to school to collect her. Every morning, she had a sore tummy and, when she got to school, she was lashing out, throwing chairs and hurting others. The school and Cheryl didn’t know what to do and put her on a part-time timetable.

Fortunately, Rio’s school was already working in partnership with The Yard and through support within the school and attending The Yard at weekends, Rio’s focus and behaviour have improved immensely. She’s now finishing primary two back at school full time and is learning.

Audit Scotland’s recent damning report into the state of education for Scotland’s children with additional support for learning needs didn’t come as a shock to us at The Yard. Day in, day out, we work with children who are really struggling in mainstream schools but are flourishing at The Yard.

The Yard’s vision is a fully inclusive Scotland where disabled children and their families have equal opportunity to thrive. The presumption to mainstream, which means that 97% of all pupils attend mainstream schools and parents have the choice to send their child to their local school, is key to that.

But inclusion isn’t just giving a child with a disability the right to attend a mainstream school, it’s also providing them with a full education that meets their needs, supporting their social skills and enabling them to develop alongside their peers. It’s about setting them up for a successful adulthood, teaching them the skills to thrive throughout their life.

That’s what we do so well at The Yard. At The Yard everybody and nobody is different. Rio didn’t need a diagnosis to benefit from The Yard, we’re there for any child at the point of need. The impact of coming to The Yard is immense, improving social skills, confidence, fine and gross motor skills, creative and critical thinking.

That’s why The Yard runs a school’s service. We work in partnership with both special needs and mainstream schools to offer weekly sessions outside of the classroom at The Yard in Edinburgh, Dundee, and soon Glasgow. Schools tell us that children are more confident, have better self-esteem, are less isolated, learn new skills, make new friends, are happier and are more independent. The teachers or learning support assistants who attend with the pupils also say they are less stressed.

Sadly, we know that for growing numbers of children, school has become too much. That’s one of the reason’s we’re playing a leading role in the Edinburgh Disability and Neurodiversity (EDAN) Hub, which launched last year in partnership with the NHS, council and a range of other charities. Families can bring a child who’s not attending school along to the EDAN Hub and get advice and information on how to support them, while the child gets to play with our play team and crucially gets to build friendships with other children who are not in school. It’s early days for this project, but the plan is it will enable children to re-engage in their education.

The Yard is growing to meet ever increasing need – membership of The Yard has grown over 60% since the start of 2022.  We are currently renovating the Yard Dundee and our new Yard Glasgow centre. Both will be reopening later this year with the ability to support schools and pupils in their local area.

But our centres can reach only a fraction of the 40% of pupils who are receiving Additional Support for Learning. That’s why we’re also developing a digital training programme, so we can reach out to schools, out-of-school care providers, and sports and leisure providers to help everyone deliver inclusive services to all children.

The old adage “it takes a village to raise a child” has never been more true. The Yard, and other third sector organisations are an essential part of the solution to the challenges facing inclusive education. We are willing and able to work alongside the Scottish Government, local authorities, schools and others to turn this issue around. Together, we know we can create a fully inclusive Scotland where disabled children, young people and their whole families enjoy equal opportunities to thrive.

'Dig Deep for The Yard': The Yard are looking for help to raise the final £300,000 to complete the renovation of its Mid Craigie home. Find out more ->

 

 

 

About the Author

Celine Sinclair is Chief Executive of The Yard

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'Dig Deep for the Yard'

Help the Yard Dundee raise the final £300,000 to complete the renovation of its Mid Craigie home.

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