N8

Context

The North of England has too many children and young people experiencing poor life outcomes compared to the South. This affects population health, damages communities, and holds back the UK’s economy. No single public service or organisation can address these structural problems. The solutions will need everyone to work together and this includes universities, government, local authorities, schools, the NHS, and communities.

2024-25 saw LIDA work with the N8 Research Partnership to bring together data scientists, academics, policymakers, and people with lived experiences to find new answers to addressing childhood inequities. The goal is to use data in smart and ethical ways to better understand the challenges faced by families, design improved public services, and help every child thrive.

Our work has revealed both opportunities and threats. Advances in artificial intelligence and data science provide powerful tools to analyse problems and test solutions. However, our communities have made it clear that we need to build trust around how their data are used, and we must ensure that technological advances do not further exaggerate geographical inequalities. This means that voices from the North of England must help shape national policy.

This is why the N8 has connected its Child of the North and Computationally Intensive Research (CIR) themes. The combined Child of the North CIR community is now supporting the government in its efforts to build a country that works for all children and young people.

People

In 2024-25, the Child of the North CIR group expanded its membership and involved new colleagues who brought in fresh energy, ideas, and connections. The partnership has focused on involving undergraduate students, PhD researchers, and early career academics. These colleagues represent the next generation who will carry this work forward so their inclusion in the conversation is vital.

The Child of the North CIR group has also begun embedding lived experience more directly into its leadership. That means that it is not only academics who set the direction of travel, but young people and communities also help determine priorities.

Partnerships

Partnership is at the heart of our computationally intensive research. No single university can solve the challenges of poverty, poor health, or educational inequity alone. This is why Child of the North CIR includes all the research-intensive universities across the North of England. Likewise, no single sector can address these challenges, and this is why the Child of the North CIR community is working with a diverse range of external partners.

In 2025, the Child of the North CIR group ran a major workshop on improving outcomes for children and young people through data science. The event was chaired by Baroness Anne Longfield and Professor Charlie Jeffery (VC of York University and Chair of the N8) and connected university leaders, data scientists, policymakers, and charities. Together, we explored how connected data can be used responsibly to create better futures for young people. We identified a priority around ‘Special Educational Needs’ (SEN) and pledged to support the government in its Opportunity Mission ambitions around SEN.

The Child of the North CIR group is engaging nationally through the Science Advisory Council within the Department for Education, ensuring insights from the North of England influence government policy on the ethical use of data. We are using data assets in the region to show how smart use of connected data can improve public service delivery.

Achievements

The past year has been a productive one for the Child of the North CIR group. Highlights include:

• Events: A series of workshops, seminars, and networking sessions have been held, including a National Opportunity Summit, which attracted academics, community leaders, and policymakers.
• Research impact: Our work has been covered in the national media and referenced in debates about child poverty, health, and opportunity.
• Publications: Papers on connected data and child outcomes have been published, alongside practical policy recommendations promoted through our #ChildrenFirst campaign.
• New projects: Successful funding bids mean several new studies are now underway, including work on youth mental health, education outcomes, and the role of AI in public services.

Research Case Study

The Electronic Developmental Support Passport (EDSP) was developed in response to data analysis insights showing that teacher’s observations of children’s behaviours can identify children who are subsequently diagnosed with autism, ADHD and SEN. The EDSP has been designed to allow teachers to identify children’s learning and developmental support needs at multiple points across a child’s educational journey.

The EDSP allows school staff to input their observations on a child’s behaviour across developmental domains. The system then suggests evidence‑informed approaches and interventions that teachers or parents can apply immediately. Training in neurodiversity and support strategies is built into the implementation plan, ensuring that users have the knowledge to interpret and act on the EDSP recommendations.

The EDSP provides early needs‑led identification and helps public services move away from a reliance on formal clinical diagnosis for educational support. The EDSP model aligns with national charity group calls for holistic developmental measures that can flag children at higher likelihood of needing additional support.

The passport will ultimately allow safe data sharing across health and education for integrated approaches to improving outcomes for all children - including the neurodiverse population.

The EDSP will be formally tested over the 2025-26 academic year to evaluate the extent to which it can speed early intervention, reduce waiting times for formal neurodevelopmental assessment, and diminish reliance on resource‑intensive diagnostic processes.

Conclusion

The N8 universities are showing what is possible when we work together, combine data science with human stories, and make research serve society.

Our region faces massive challenges from child poverty to health inequalities, but we also have incredible data assets. We are making certain that Northern voices shape the future of data use within our country by connecting expertise across our Northern English universities, engaging with communities, and working with policymakers.

The forthcoming year will build on this momentum, with new projects, new partnerships, and a continued focus on making a difference to the lives of children and young people across the North of England.

Find out more about N8 Return to the Annual Showcase 2025