Case Study: Living Well Schools, Addressing Poverty in Bradford
Improving Access to Affordable School Uniforms

Project Overview

In 2025, Bradford Council’s Public Health team (Living Well Schools) partnered with the Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Evidence into Policy and Practice Hub, a collaboration with the University of York and Healthy Livelihoods team, to assess how primary and secondary schools across the district communicate support for affordable school uniforms. The research aimed to understand whether schools were meeting expectations to signpost families to second-hand options and minimise financial burden.

The Challenge

Families across Bradford face increasing financial pressures, and school uniform costs can significantly contribute to these challenges. Although national guidance encourages affordable uniform policies, local partners believed that information available to families varied widely. However, there was no district-wide data to confirm this or support strategic action.

What HDRC Delivered

• The HDRC Bradford Policy Hub team worked with the Living Well Schools team to:
  Systematically collect and analyse information from school websites and uniform policies.
• Assess references to affordability, second-hand provision, and requirements for branded items.
• Present findings to the School Resources Task & Finish Group, which included schools, voluntary sector partners, and the Child Poverty Action Group.
  This was the first comprehensive mapping of uniform-related public information across the district.

Key Impacts

1. Evidence to Secure Funding
   The analysis validated concerns about inconsistent practice and was instrumental in strengthening a successful business case for a new full-time role - Living Well Community Development and Engagement Worker (School Resources). This post will run for two years, with a possible one-year extension, and will lead work to improve uniform support across schools and will lead work to improve uniform support across schools.
2. Strengthening Policy and Practice
   The findings provided a baseline for district-wide improvement and gave decision-makers confidence to act. They highlighted gaps not only in published information but also in understanding how schools support families beyond what is online.
3. Building Capacity
   Through collaboration, the Public Health team developed skills in evidence gathering and analysis. HDRC support saved significant staff time and enabled work to happen in a timely manner.
4. Wider Engagement
   The research was shared locally with the School Resources Task & Finish Group and noted by national stakeholders through the Child Poverty Action Group.

Next Steps

The newly appointed engagement worker will:

• Map the full landscape of uniform support across schools.
• Engage families and schools to identify needs and gaps.
• Strengthen partnerships to ensure more consistent, accessible support.
• Evaluate the impact of improved infrastructure on families.

Conclusion

The Living Well Schools Poverty project highlights how targeted research can generate meaningful, practice-led change, by transforming anecdotal concerns into actionable evidence. HDRC’s contribution not only generated actionable evidence but also secured new capacity to improve affordability for families, support schools, and advance equity across Bradford’s education system.