Cymru Kids: Supporting Schools to Improve Children’s Health and Wellbeing

Key Information

Lead Researchers: Dr Amie Richards, Prof Kelly Mackintosh, Prof Melitta McNarry, Dr Anwen Jones
Subject Area: Children’s physical activity levels, health, fitness, motor skills
Funding Body: Sport Wales
Project Duration: Initially 12 months
Collaborators: Schools across Wales, Sport Wales, Public Health Organisations, Government and Education Stakeholders
Further Information: Amie.Richards@Swansea.ac.uk

Challenge

In 2022, Wales introduced a new national curriculum, placing greater emphasis on Health and Well-being. While schools welcome this focus, many have highlighted challenges in achieving the intended outcomes due to limited resources, guidance, and confidence in assessing and promoting children’s physical activity, fitness, and motor competence.

At the same time, global and national organisations – including the World Health Organization and Welsh Government – have called for urgent action to address declining physical activity levels among young people. Physical inactivity is estimated to cost the global economy around £20 billion annually, underlining the importance of early intervention.

Schools need practical, evidence-based tools to better understand children’s health and to support meaningful improvements.

Method

Schools are invited to take part in the project and work collaboratively with researchers. During school visits, the research team collects a range of health and fitness measures including body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, fundamental movement skills, and health and wellbeing behaviours.

All data is analysed and shared with schools through accessible reports. Schools can also opt for additional support, including interactive sessions with staff and pupils to help interpret findings and identify practical next steps. This collaborative approach ensures that schools gain meaningful insights while helping shape resources that are practical, engaging, and sustainable.

Impact

Cymru Kids supports schools to better understand pupil health and wellbeing, enabling targeted interventions and improved outcomes for children. The project also contributes to wider public health priorities by generating Wales-wide data on children’s physical activity, fitness, and motor competence. In the longer term, the project aims to establish a sustainable, nationwide approach to monitoring children’s health and supporting positive lifestyle behaviours.

Project Outputs

Project outputs will include school-level reports, Wales-wide data insights, co-designed school resources, and practical guidance to support schools in embedding health and wellbeing into everyday practice.