Childhood activities

image of students at a Forest School experience.

Children, Young People and Families activities

Trips, guest speakers, and conferences play a vital role in the Children, Young People and Families subject area. These experiences help bring learning to life by showing how theory is applied in real-world settings with local and regional employers. All of our degree programmes include opportunities to observe practice in action with children and families in a variety of contexts.

Here are some examples of trips, visits and further qualifications our students can take advantage of:

  • Field trips in each year of study ​
  • Forest Schools experiences​
  • Outdoor Nursery​
  • Museum of Childhood​
  • Further professional qualifications ​
  • Mental Health First Aid​
  • Makaton​
  • Paediatric first aid.
image of students at a Forest School experience.
image of students at a Forest School experience.

Welcome week is a key part of school life, where our teaching team and all new students get to spend time together building a fire, toasting marshmallows, and getting to know each other. We warmly look forward to welcoming you in September, and plans are already underway for us all to visit the forest school in our first week of term.
Image of students outside Allerton CoE Primary School.
Image of students outside Allerton CoE Primary School.

"We recently took a class visit to Allerton Church of England School to gain insight on how SEND provisions are put in place. We were welcomed with excitement, and they were very pleased to educate us further in SEND in an education setting. It was very interesting to see how they have provided many different spaces and different environments for children to regulate their emotions and be able to return to class and array on their learning. The staff highlighted the importance of these spaces and how it can improve children’s retention of information and gain control of their behaviour. It was a very educational and necessary trip that allows us to see SEND provisions put into practice."

Charlotte Storey

Education, Mental Health and SEND BA (Hons)
Image of School of Children, Young People and Families staff and students visiting charity, Zarach.
Image of School of Children, Young People and Families staff and students visiting charity, Zarach.

Students on our Working with Children, Young People and Families degree programme visited Zarach, a bed poverty charity based in Leeds. Their mission is to give every head a bed and to provide the basics so that every child and family in poverty can rise up from surviving to thriving.

The charity was set up by Leeds Trinity Graduate Bex Wilson. Moving forward, we are exploring the potential for placements with Zarach and are keen to support their fundraising appeals.

For more information visit Zarach's website.
Image of pupils at the SEND Sports Day.
Image of pupils at the SEND Sports Day.

Organised by Leeds Trinity in collaboration with Child Friendly Leeds, the event allowed students from ten Leeds-based schools to take part in a range of physical activities that are not widely accessible to SEND pupils.

To put their skills into practice, several undergraduate students from Leeds Trinity helped facilitate the sports day, gaining practical experience that will benefit their future careers. Learning how to appropriately consider the needs of SEND students and make reasonable adjustments to their teaching will help Leeds Trinity students address a key industry skills gap.

@leedstrinity Last week we welcomed around 100 children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) from schools across Leeds for our Widening Participation Sports Day. Organised by our School of Children, Young People and Families in partnership with Child Friendly Leeds, the event was a celebration of inclusion, teamwork and the power of sport to bring people together ⚽ #LeedsTrinity #SENDsports #LeedsRhinos #LeedsUnited #University #Uni #SportDay #SEND #LeedsTrinityUniversity #UniLife #CampusLife #LoveLTU #UniTok #StudyTok #Sport ♬ Need Sum Bop In It - Brentin Davis
photo of the CYPF School Award winners.
photo of the CYPF School Award winners.

Each year, the School of Children, Young People and Families host their Champions of Childhood Conference. The Champions of Childhood Conference is a highlight of the academic year, bringing together students, staff, and our employer partners listening to a range of insightful speakers and thought-provoking discussions. Research-active staff are also regularly invited to speak at national and international conferences.  

This year’s theme was nurturing children’s futures. The event featured guest speakers sharing their innovative work with children and families, creating opportunities for discussions about career routes, placements and research.

All students are encouraged to attend as part of their programme – we look forward to seeing you there next year!
Image of alumna Becca Haigh speaking to CYPF students.
Image of alumna Becca Haigh speaking to CYPF students.

Learning about animal-assisted therapy from an LTU graduate

We recently welcomed Becca Haigh, Wildling Adventures owner and LTU alumni, back to campus to deliver an interactive session with our students.

Becca, who graduated from our Working with Children, Young People and Families programme in 2022, set up Wildling Adventures to offer therapeutic interventions through animal-assisted therapy.

Becca’s visit gave students the opportunity to hear about her experiences working with children and families – and to meet some of the animals!

Session highlights
Image of Best Childcare delivering a talk to students.
Image of Best Childcare delivering a talk to students.

Our collaborative partnership with Best Childcare continues to thrive. Not only do students visit Best Childcare to experience a setting in practice but we also have the privilege of the Nursery coming in and delivering module sessions which they've co-created with the School.

CYPF Employability Fair

Last October, in collaboration with Careers+Placements, we invited 12 employers and services to network with students interested in pursuing a career working with children, young people and families. They helped students to understand the diverse range of opportunities and placement within the field.  

Organisations in attendance were 22 Street Lane Nursery, Academic Appointments, Action Tutoring, Bright Beginnings Childcare Centre, Domi Domingo Nursery, Energise by Endorphins, GIPSIL (Gipton Supported Independent Living), Green Meadows Academy (part of the Wellspring Trust), Home Start Leeds, North Yorkshire Council, Springwell Leeds Academy, and Sweet Peas Day Care & Teaching Nurseries.

Image of our CYPF Employability Fair.
Employer stands at our Children, Young People and Families Employability Fair
Image of our CYPF Employability Fair.
Thank you to our Employer partners for attending our Employability Fair
Image of our CYPF Employability Fair.
Meet our Careers+Placements team
Image of our CYPF Employability Fair.
Our students enjoyed networking with our employer partners
Image of our CYPF Employability Fair.
A few more snapshots of the Employer Fair

Book releases

 

 

Two of our Philosophy, Ethics, and Religion lecturers are set to make an impact, with each preparing to release an exciting new book that showcases their expertise and passion for their fields.

Dr Richard Playford's Fairies, Faith and Philosophy and Dr David Ellis' book, Philosophy on First Contact, are both due to be published in 2027. 

Staff profile photo of lecturer, Richard Playford.

Fairies, Faith and Philosophy

Have you ever wondered what fairies are? How did people in the past think about these creatures? Why did we stop believing in them? And is it time to start believing in them again?!  

Richard Playford, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, Ethics and Religion, will try to answer these questions and many more in an upcoming monograph tentatively titled Fairies, Faith and Philosophy, to be published as part of Routledge's Studies in Religion series.

Staff profile photo of lecturer, Richard Playford.

Why I'm interested in this topic: I'm interested in this topic for two interrelated reasons. First, one of my overarching interests over the last few years has been philosophical anthropology, i.e., human nature. I'm interested in what it is that makes us 'human' and why this matters. As part of this I've become interested in borderline cases, i.e., creatures that resemble us in some ways, but not others. Over the last few years, I examined the possibility of intelligent extraterrestrial life given that such creatures would share with us a rational nature, whilst physically being very different to us. I think I've largely answered such questions having published a co-authored monograph (The Problem of God and Astrobiology, 2024) and edited volume (Exophilosophy: The Philosophical Implications of Alien Life, 2024) which examined these topics. As a result, fairies seem like a natural next topic! 

Whilst examining the philosophy of extraterrestrial life, I also became interested, as a theologian, in how Christians might reconcile the existence of alien life with Christian theology. Again, I feel I've now largely answered that question, and, once again, fairies seem like a natural next topic! 
Image of Philosophy, Ethics and Religion lecturer, David Ellis.

Philosophy on First Contact

Many of us look up to the sky and ask whether we are alone in the universe, but less of us seriously reflect on how we would respond if we received a decisive reply from an extraterrestrial intelligence. In his upcoming book with Bloomsbury Academic, Philosophy on First Contact, David Ellis begins with a first contact event and takes the reader on a journey through various philosophical scenarios that will arise from it. Ranging from language problems and ethical concerns, to political reactions and alien aesthetics, this book takes the possibility of extraterrestrial intelligence seriously and introduces the reader to the developing field of exophilosophy.

Image of Philosophy, Ethics and Religion lecturer, David Ellis.

I have been interested in extraterrestrial life since I was a child. Whether watching Star Wars or reading abduction reports, the topic never fails to spark my imagination. But one thing stuck out to me and annoyed me - aliens were (often) not sufficiently alien! They were presented as effectively humans in different bodies with more technology, and that struck me as unimaginative.

This book is a result of my desire to take the topic seriously and to propose truly different forms of intelligent extraterrestrial life through philosophical thought. Moreover, the topic is fertile ground for philosophical digging - it raises several interesting thought-experiments, counter-intuitive scenarios, and prompts reflection on what we mean by 'alien'. All of this is embodied in my teaching approach, where I strive for interactive learning about fun and intellectually rigorous material.

PER activities

Our Philosophy, Ethics and Religion degree is brought to life by active researchers with a range of expertise who will engage you in topical debates and lively discussions. Learning in small groups, you’ll receive the personal student support we are renowned for and develop the in-demand key transferable skills employers want. See below some of the activities our students have been getting involved in.

Image of staff and students at Think Fest..

Think:Fest

Our Level 6 students had the opportunity to deliver a conference as part of their Learning through Work module aimed at inspiring local secondary school students. Think:Fest included thought-provoking discussions, academic taster sessions, expert insights, and interactive workshops and was attended by around 150 students from 10 different local schools. A great achievement all round!

Find out more

Image of Philosophy, Ethics and Religion Dungeons and Dragons research session..

Learning through D&D

The PER team has been researching to see if the tabletop role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons, can be used in the teaching of philosophy and ethics.

In December, the team presented the findings of their feasibility study to an audience of students, colleagues and researchers across the University, with initial results looking promising.

Image of PEAR SU Society..

PEAR Society

Welcome to the Philosophy, Ethics and Religion (PEAR) Society. Run by students, the society welcomes members of the LTU community regardless of their course or beliefs.

The PEAR Society aims to provide a safe space where people can learn together and respectfully discuss and debate a range of philosophical topics.  

Look out for more information about the PEAR Society when you join LTU.