School of Children, Young People and Families

The School of Children, Young People and Families provide specialist support and expertise to develop professionals who have the requisite knowledge, skills and experience to improve outcomes for children, young people and families across the communities they live and work.
Female student playing with lego in CYPF lesson.

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 achievements

5th in the UK and 1st in Yorkshire for ‘learning resources’ among universities in the UK included for Social Policy.

National Student Survey (NSS) 2024

Top 10 in the UK and 1st in Yorkshire for ‘assessment and feedback’ among universities in the UK included for Social Policy.

National Student Survey (NSS) 2024

Top 15 in the UK and 1st in Yorkshire for ‘Student Voice’ among universities in the UK included for Social Policy.

National Student Survey (NSS) 2024

Leeds Trinity University is top in Yorkshire and top 10 in the UK for 'satisfaction with teaching'

The Guardian University Guide 2025

96% of Leeds Trinity University graduates are in employment or further study within 15 months

Graduate Outcomes, Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) published 2024

Our courses

Undergraduate courses

Course title Award Year of entry Link to view course
Early Childhood Studies BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025, 2026 View course
Early Childhood Studies with Foundation Year BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025, 2026 View course
Education, Mental Health and SEND BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025, 2026 View course
Education, Mental Health and SEND with Foundation Year BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025, 2026 View course
Early Years Leadership Foundation Degree Year of entry: 2025 View course
Philosophy, Ethics and Religion BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025, 2026 View course
Philosophy, Ethics and Religion with Foundation Year BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025, 2026 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, 2026 View course
Working with Children, Young People and Families with Foundation Year BA (Hons) Year of entry: 2025, 2026 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
Social Work MA Year of entry: 2025 View course

A School with connections

Read more about our 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..
Logo of Behind Closed Doors..
Logo of Best Childcare..
Logo of Bright Sparks..
Logo of Child Friendly Leeds..
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Logo of National Society for Education..
Logo of Staying Put..
Logo of Wellingtons Nursery..
Logo of Zarach..

School activities

Events such as trips, talks and conferences are a key approach within the School of Children Young People and Families. This helps bring learning to life and see the implementation of theory into practice within our local and regional employers. All our degree programmes embed trips to see practice in action with children and families in a range of ways.

image of students at a Forest School experience..

Our people

School of Children, Young People and Families blogs

A dad holding two children as a third child runs off ahead, in a field of poppies..
Blog post: Children, Young People and Families, Research

Good dads on deadlines: How universities can better support young fathers

27 November 2024

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

View all News

Children, Young People and Families

24/03/2025

Early Childhood Studies degree exceeding expectations

Read article