Increasing numbers of youngsters in North Yorkshire are less likely to communicate with people they have only met online or to have experienced negative behaviour during school lesson time compared with two years ago – and they are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables!
These diverse findings are part of a wide-ranging North Yorkshire County Council survey which the authority carries out in partnership with schools every two years. The survey, which is called Growing Up in North Yorkshire, takes in the views of 17,000 children and young people. It covers topics such as attitudes towards learning, bullying, sexual health and sex education and online safety.
Findings from the latest 2016 survey show that compared with similar shire counties which carry out a similar survey, North Yorkshire pupils in primary and secondary schools are more positive in their perceptions of school and Year 6 pupils in North Yorkshire are less likely to say that they had been bullied at or near school in the last year.
“Growing Up in North Yorkshire” is used to target resources to encourage young people to adopt healthier lifestyles. It has become a crucial tool since 2006 in the local authority’s strategic planning for the development of high quality children’s services across this large, sparsely populated rural county.
The survey gives the local authority, the county’s schools and the Children’s Trust partnership (the public and voluntary sector organisations working together to meet the needs of children and families) invaluable information to take action and improve services for young people, particularly vulnerable groups.
Key findings from the survey included:
- Year 2 pupils were more likely to eat fruit and vegetables in 2016 (fruit 61% in 2014 against 65% in 2016 and vegetables 48% in 2014 against 51% in 2016)
- 74% of Year 6 pupils said that if at first they did not succeed, they “usually’’ or “always’’ kept on trying until they did, compared with 71% in 2014, while 48% said they ask for help. They were also less likely to worry about going to secondary school (38% in 2014 against 31% in 2016)
- Year 6 pupils were achieving higher wellbeing scores in 2016. The proportion scoring at least 24 rose from 37% in 2014 to 46% in 2016
- Secondary pupils were less likely to say they had experienced negative behaviour during lesson time in the month before the survey (23% in 2014 against 17% in 2016)
- Year 6 pupils were more likely to say they knew enough about how their body changes as they get older (74% in 2014 against 80% in 2016).
- Secondary pupils were less likely to communicate with people they had met online and did not know in real life (22% in 2014 against 18% in 2016).
Other results revealed 24% of Year 2 pupils said that they were allowed to watch TV after they had gone to bed (22% in 2014) and 24% said that someone usually read them a bedtime story (26% in 2014).
Forty-six per cent of Year 2 pupils said an adult always knew what they were looking at online and 17% said they had friends online they had not met.
Year 6 pupils felt they were less likely to be asked for their ideas and opinions about what
happened in school (70% in 2014, 62% in 2016) and fewer pupils played sport on the day before
the survey (52% in 2014, 43% in 2016).
Additionally, about 8% of secondary pupils said they had been the victim of violence or aggression (up from 6%) and 8% carried a weapon or something else for protection when going out at least sometimes (higher for boys, and up from 5% in 2014).
Pete Dwyer, Corporate Director of the Children and Young People’s Service, said of the report: “It is probably the largest such survey conducted in the country and gives incredibly rich insights into the changing lives of North Yorkshire’s young people. It provides analysis which helps us to understand where changes in their views have positively occurred and where more needs to be done.
“The findings will be debated at an individual school level and at a number of key strategic partnerships in the county. But we must go beyond debate and ensure we fully listen and respond to this rich collective expression of young people’s voices.’’
County Councillor Arthur Barker, Executive Member for Schools, said: “We give the highest priority to children and young people’s health and wellbeing in order to help them to achieve their potential and to give them the best foundation for the future. This survey gives invaluable information to improve services across a whole range of areas.”