Welcome to the School of Children, Young People and Families

Welcome to the School of Children, Young People and Families where we are focused on being a positive force to change society. As a School, we are grounded in understanding child development and exploring approaches that make a lifelong impact on children and their families. We do this by creating a culture of care where your sense of belonging as a member of this School is just as important as the sense of wellbeing you inspire in children and families. 

Within the School, we offer a range of programmes that evolve around understanding the lives of children, how best to support their development, and making impactful interventions when families face difficulties. Our modules consider practical interventions that support children’s happiness, mitigate the risks of health inequalities, or support special educational needs and disabilities. All our programmes are career-focused, supporting you to explore the vast number of professional roles available when within children and families, or enhancing your career further within this meaningful profession.

There is a strong emphasis on social justice throughout our programmes, learning how to change the lives of children and families and rebalance inequalities. This can be within impactful interventions for supporting mental health, anti-social behaviour, or early communication and language skills. We consider trauma-informed practice to support social and emotional wellbeing and embrace meaningful reflective practice to support your professional wellbeing.   

Alongside these programmes we also have our philosophy, ethics and religion programme. Modules cover a diversity of topics and perspectives whilst examining issues of both pressing contemporary and perennial importance. Our philosophy modules explore the nature of reality, the existence of God, what it means to be human, and much more besides. Our ethics modules will teach you how to think about complicated real-world issues in a thoughtful, rigorous, and compassionate way. Finally, our religion modules will help you to understand what people believe, why they believe it, the important role that religion can play in people’s lives, and how it shapes decision-making at both a personal and societal level helping you to better understand, and change, contemporary society and the modern world.

You’ll be inspired to explore a range of professional roles, and studying programmes that open doors across a variety of exciting careers. Modules are dynamic and co-created, with rich teaching and learning sessions that research-active tutors and local employers inform. As a School, we provide a genuine commitment to your development, raising confidence and academic achievement simultaneously. Joining us can help you become a positive force to change society.

Our courses

Undergraduate courses

Course title Award Year of entry Link to view course
Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025 View course
Early Childhood Studies with Foundation Year BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025 View course
Education, Mental Health and SEND BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025 View course
Education, Mental Health and SEND with Foundation Year BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025 View course
Philosophy, Ethics and Religion BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025 View course
Philosophy, Ethics and Religion with Foundation Year BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025 View course
Professional Practice: Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons) Level 6 top-up degree Year of entry: 2025 View course
Professional Practice: Education Studies BA (Hons) Level 6 top-up degree Year of entry: 2025 View course
Professional Practice: Supporting Children, Young People and Families BA (Hons) Level 6 top-up degree Year of entry: 2025 View course
Working with Children, Young People and Families BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025 View course
Working with Children, Young People and Families with Foundation Year BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025 View course

Postgraduate courses

Course title Award Year of entry Link to view course
Advanced Practice in Speech, Language and Communication Needs PG Cert Year of entry: 2025 View course
Childhood and Education MA Year of entry: 2025 View course
Family Support MA Year of entry: 2025 View course
Mental Health in Children and Young People MA Year of entry: 2025 View course

A School with connections

The School of Children, Young People and Families has many connections with local organisations and charities. Below are just some of the partners we work closely with.

Logo of Barca Leeds..
Barca Leeds
Logo of Behind Closed Doors..
Behind Closed Doors
Logo of Best Childcare..
Best Childcare
.
Leeds Learning Alliance
Logo of National Society for Education..
Logo of Staying Put..
Staying Put
Logo of Wellingtons Nursery..
Wellingtons Nursery
Logo of Zarach..
Zarach

Our people

Photo Name Position Link to full profile
Staff profile photo of lecturer, Amanda Jefferson.. Amanda Jefferson Senior University Teacher Research profile
Profile photo of lecturer, Clarrie Smith.. Dr Clarrie Smith Deputy Head of School: Children, Young People and Families Research profile
Staff profile photo of lecturer, Edward Noon.. Dr Edward Noon Senior Lecturer in Children, Young People and Families Research profile
Profile photo of lecturer, Hannah Crooks.. Hannah Crooks Lecturer in Early Childhood and Early Childhood Studies Programme Leader Research profile
Staff profile photo of lecturer, Jo Wilkinson.. Jo Wilkinson Lecturer in Children, Young People and Families
Staff profile photo of lecturer, Lyndsey Layton.. Dr Lyndsey Layton Senior Lecturer in Children, Young People and Families
Staff profile photo of lecturer, Martin Holleran.. Martin Holleran Senior Lecturer
Profile photo of lecturer, Mike Dessington.. Mike Dessington Head of School: Children, Young People and Families Research profile
Staff profile photo of lecturer, Rosie Galbraith.. Rosie Galbraith Senior Lecturer
Profile photo of lecturer, Sarah Flanagan.. Dr Sarah Flanagan Senior Lecturer Research profile
Profile photo of lecturer, Tracy Laverick.. Dr Tracy Laverick Senior Lecturer Research profile

School of Children, Young People and Families blogs

The chapel at Leeds Trinity University with a statue of Jesus on the cross..
Blog post: Philosophy, Theology, Religion and Ethics, Research

Are miracles believable for contemporary Christians?

6 August 2024

Man stood on corridor.
Blog post: Children, Young People and Families, Community, Education, Nursing

The experience of disablement amongst children and young people

8 December 2023

School of Children, Young People and Families News

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Alumni, Catholicism, Children, Young People and Families

21/10/2024

Alumna who saved pupil’s life wins BBC Radio Tees Care Award

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Children, Young People and Families, Research

22/08/2024

Academic at forefront of national efforts to train SEND officers in local authorities

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Children, Young People and Families

30/07/2024

University selected as main provider of special educational needs qualification for Yorkshire and the North East

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Children, Young People and Families, Computer Science, Journalism, Student Life

10/07/2024

Leeds Trinity students share positive feedback in the National Student Survey 2024

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