In April, we began work on an exciting new study, BiBBS ACHIEVE (Addressing Childhood Inequalities through Evidence-Based Early interventions). This is a 7-year study which aims to generate vital insights into how we can create a healthier, happier, and
fairer future for socially disadvantaged children.
BiBBS ACHIEVE builds upon the Born in Bradford’s Better Start (BiBBS) (https://borninbradford.nhs.uk/what-we-do/studies/bibbs/) birth cohort, which has followed
over 5000 families living in Bowling and Barkerend, Bradford Moor, and Little Horton, since 2016. This new phase aims to enhance our understanding of children’s health, wellbeing, and educational development in middle childhood, capturing how recent systemic
shocks, such as the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, have shaped their lives, and how existing early interventions can be adapted to reduce inequalities. By focusing on children aged 7-8 years, we hope to bridge important gaps in our understanding of children’s
development, often referred to as the “missing middle”, so we can better support children during this critical stage to reach their potential. We plan to measure key domains including: physical health, social and emotional health and educational development.
We are currently in the process of recruiting inner city primary schools to take part in our pilot which we anticipate will start in Autumn 2025. If you are interested in getting involved or have any questions, please get in touch (rachael.baum@bthft.nhs.uk).