Our Kids in the North: It's hard being a kid - life in a Northern school in 2025

​"It's really difficult being a kid at the moment. And that's for a whole host of reasons. You see that with the increased mental health problems our children are facing. You see that with the issue of attendance at school. You see that with issues of family breakdown, issues of poverty. And those issues have been worsened by the pandemic." Jim Lauder,​ Assistant Vice Principal, Dixons Trinity Academy This week on The Northern Agenda's series Our Kids In The North, Rob Parsons and Annie Gouk look at​ what it's like to go to a school in Northern England, where absence and exclusion rates are higher than the rest of the country. ​Jim Lauder, whose trust runs schools in several Northern cities, tells of the challenges he and his colleagues face working with children from deprived communities in places like Bradford. There's exclusive data from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership about the areas of the North where pupils are most likely to miss school. And leaders in one area of our region tell Rob how they're using robots to give emotional support to young people struggling to attend. And at a time when the Labour government is making big changes to our education system, Rob speaks to Yorkshireman Neil O'Brien, the Conservative MP who's leading the attack on Bridget Phillipson's school reforms. And we hear from Jonathan Brash, who has a unique perspective as a Labour MP in Hartlepool who used to work in leading private schools in the North. Does he agree with the move to add 20% VAT to private school fees? The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices