Understanding Society INSIGHTS 2026

POLICY CONFERENCE ON BUILDING A ‘SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE’ TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT AND REDUCE INEQUALITIES

While curriculum reform and classroom effectiveness, whether in schools, colleges or universities, matters critically for reasoning and knowledge, educational attainment, and social mobility, what happens alongside the classroom equally matters. Social and emotional development, nutrition and healthy living, soft skills, parental income and unemployment, and places also influence outcomes. Evidence shows that inequalities in education and social mobility start early on in childhood, have long-term consequences, and are transmitted intergenerationally.

All stages of childhood and adolescence are important for development, but the necessary social and financial support infrastructure has been cut or under-developed over the years. Positively, inequalities in education and employment outcomes by socio-economic background for young people had been narrowing, but there are worrying signs of many children and young people being left behind. In England, child poverty is at a record high, education inequalities have widened since the pandemic, demand for mental health services and Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans has been growing, and huge numbers are not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Building infrastructure and services over the next 10 years could generate long-term benefits for individuals, communities and the economy - and provide a counterbalance to life online. This will depend on the effectiveness of investment in early years, extending maternity and paternity rights, support for parents (particularly mothers), vulnerable families and special needs, mental health services, youth hubs and sports clubs, careers support, work experience, cross-national exchanges, and other access programmes. The UK Government has been developing several strategies and policies as part of its Opportunities Mission. On welfare reform, the removal of the two-child limit for families on Universal Credit is expected to significantly reduce child poverty. Educational reforms include curriculum changes and a Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper. With a range of powers devolved to the home nations, a more diverse landscape is emerging across the country.

Understanding Society has been tracking the lives of children and young people, within a family context, since 2009. Analysis of the data by researchers is revealing a rich unfolding tapestry of ambitions, challenges, hurdles and lack of progress across generations. So, what needs to be done differently over the medium term to overcome these challenges and barriers, and how can services and opportunities be more effectively distributed in the context of fiscal constraints?

This policy conference will focus on three themes:

· Building the early foundations

· Supporting the adolescent years

· Improving youth health and social mobility across places

The event will bring together policymakers, local and combined mayoral authorities, education and health providers, children and family organisations, sports and care organisations, young advocates and youth organisations, economic development agencies, and academics.

Understanding Society will be launching Insights 2026 Barriers to Opportunity Report at this event. Based on the Study’s long-term data, the report provides wide ranging, emerging evidence for policy, learning lessons and practice.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

09.00 - 09.30 Registration

09.30 - 09.40 Welcome and introduction

09.40 - 10.20 Opening Keynote

Lessons from research for Policy Planning of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC)

Edward Melhuish, Professor of Human Development at the University of Oxford, and Birkbeck, University of London

10.20 - 11.20 Building the early years foundation (including Q&A)

Tackling emotional and behaviour difficulties much earlier

Dr Edith Aguirre, Senior Research Officer, Understanding Society Family Team, University of Essex

The benefits and limitations of Sure Start for education and health

Christine Farquharson, Associate Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies

Applying lessons from evidence on impact of free-school meals

Birgitta Rabe, Professor of Economics, Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex

11.20 - 11.40 REFRESHMENT BREAK

11.40 - 12.40 Supporting the Adolescent Years (including Q&A)

Factors influencing high and low expectations at aged 16

Dr Alexander O’Donnell, Research Fellow, Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

The story behind school absences (primary and secondary)

Jonathan James, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Bath, and Understanding Society Research Fellow

Participation in extra-curricular activities: how much does this matter?

Michael Donnelly, Professor of Education and Social Policy, University of Bath

12.40 - 13.40 LUNCH

13.40 - 14.10 A perspective on reducing social inequalities amongst children and young people

Mark Russell, Chief Executive, The Children’s Society

14.10 - 15.00 Youth health - and challenging places (including Q&A)

Understanding drivers of trends in young people’s mental health

Dr Matthias Pierce, Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellow and Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Women’s Mental Health, Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester

Young people in coastal communities

Dr Emily Murray, Director of Centre for Coastal Communities and Reader, University of Essex

15.00 - 15.20 REFRESHMENT BREAK

15.20 - 16.20 PANEL DISCUSSION | Delivering priorities over the current parliament – and beyond

Jasmine Ali, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children, Southwark Council

Lydia Hodges, Head of Coram Family and Childcare

Kadra Abdinasir, Associate Director of Policy, Centre for Mental Health

Barry Fletcher, Chief Executive Officer, Youth Futures Foundation

16.20 – 17.15 REFRESHMENTS AND NETWORKING

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