How we’re contributing to the evidence base - and challenging the systems behind body image harm.

Research & Impact

We’re not just delivering programmes - we’re working to change the systems that shape how children and young people feel about their bodies.

That means building an approach to research and impact that is collaborative, grounded in real delivery, and focused on long-term, preventative change.

Our work brings together educators, researchers, health professionals and communities to understand what truly creates system-wide impact - and how we can prevent harm before it starts.

Purposeful Change

Poor body image doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s shaped by the systems children grow up in - schools, families, healthcare, media and more. Tackling it means going beyond what’s taught in class to the culture children live in - shaped by everyday environments, relationships and the messages they encounter.

We believe every adult in a child’s life has a role to play - and culture change starts with awareness, action and shared responsibility.

We’re building a collaborative, long-term research strand that reflects this complexity and helps reshape how we think about body image, belonging, and wellbeing.

That’s why our approach is:

✅ Cross-sector by design

✅ Grounded in prevention

✅ Centred on collaborative practice and ongoing learning

✅ Focused on upstream systems, not downstream symptoms

Research Partnership

We’re proud to have a research partnership with the University of Lincoln, led by Dr Kamila Irvine. In September 2025, a fully funded PhD will begin, focused on exploring the impact of our work and developing a robust, cross-sector understanding of how whole-school, system-level change can support body respect.

This research, funded by the South East Network for Social Sciences (SeNSS), is one of the first of its kind - focused not just on what students learn, but on the environments and relationships that shape them.

University of Lincoln crest with shield, two horses, and decorative elements

Early Insights

The Body Happy Schools Programme was piloted across three diverse school settings in 2024–25, including two high–Pupil Premium secondary schools and one rural primary. These pilots tested the programme in real-world contexts – across different age phases, geographies and levels of need.

We use a robust mixed-methods evaluation framework, including the Most Significant Change methodology and pre/post data tracking for both staff and students.

- Staff confidence rose from 57.1% to 90.5% after CPD, with stronger competence in tackling body-based stigma and adapting inclusive curriculum
- Students across Years 7–9 showed significant increases in body image literacy, emotional resilience and peer advocacy – including a +68.7 percentage point increase in positive or neutral self-descriptions (Year 7)
- Peer-led advocacy is driving wider cultural change, with students initiating projects, leading tutor sessions, and influencing uniform and behaviour policies
- Teachers are embedding programme language into safeguarding, pastoral support and curriculum planning
- Primary pupils showed a marked shift in emotional wellbeing and self-perception – from 65.6% to 80.8% positive word use after just one workshop
This is not a short-term intervention. The data signals early-stage systemic change – grounded in prevention, participation, and the belief that every child deserves to celebrate, respect and accept all bodies, especially their own.