Major study reveals stark inequalities in children’s in-school physical activity across English Primary Schools

University of Bath

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A large-scale study by the University of Bath of more than 17,000 primary school pupils and 2,300 teachers across England has revealed dramatic differences in levels of physical activity in children during the school day, despite all schools following the same national curriculum.

The peer-reviewed research, published in Human Kinetics Journals used wearable technology to track activity over an average of 25 days during school hours across 165 primary schools in urban and rural regions in 2021-22. It is the largest study of its kind in England, offering unprecedented insight into how some schools are supporting physical activity and health very effectively, whereas other schools need more support.

Key findings:

• Only 30% of pupils met the recommended 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per day during school hours.
• In some schools, pupils averaged just 8 minutes of MVPA, while in others, they exceeded 40 minutes, over five times more.
• Daily step counts ranged from 1,800 to over 10,000 steps per pupil.
• Children in more deprived schools (measured by % of pupils eligible for free school meals) did ~25 minutes less MVPA each week.
• The gender gap varied significantly: while boys were generally more active, 5% of schools had girls outperforming boys, and several others showed minimal differences between boys and girls.
• Playground size did not explain the differences, challenging the assumption that more space equals more movement.
• Schools with more active teachers had more active pupils, hinting at the influence of staff and school culture and leadership.

Lead author Georgina Wort from the Department for Health at the University of Bath said: “It is really important to consider the health and wellbeing impacts of these findings. Many children are not getting enough opportunity to engage in meaningful movement within a school day. It’s also noteworthy that, despite the same policy conditions, some schools had pupils achieving double or triple the levels of physical activity compared to other schools.”

The study reinforces growing evidence that children in more deprived areas face bigger barriers to physical activity, even during school hours, where opportunities should be more equal.

Lead author Georgina Wort added: “These findings highlight health inequalities in physical activity during the school day. And this is unlikely to be fixed by playground space alone. The variability in the gender gap also challenges long-held assumptions. We often hear that boys are just more active. But our data shows this is not inevitable, and some schools are already achieving equity.”

Co-author Professor Dylan Thompson from the Department for Health at the University of Bath said:

 “This study highlights how we need to do more to help many schools increase physical activity during the school day. Wearable technology could be used to help teachers identify pupils who need more support, or perhaps to identify times of the school week that are particularly sedentary. Schools could also share knowledge and learning, for example, schools with data showing lower levels of physical activity could learn from schools with higher levels of physical activity to understand what they could do differently.”

Tim Hollingsworth, Professor Of Practice (Sport) at the University of Bath and Former Chief Exec of Sport England said:

"The findings of this study provide further evidence that we are failing our children and young people when it comes to prioritising health and activity - and that the inequalities in opportunity that we know exist across schools, depending on where they are situated, are stark.The lesson we should take from this is that it is about more than formal sport provision - it is about enabling teachers to give greater focus to activity across all of the school day.”

This research as funded by the ESRC’s South West Doctoral Training Partnership, Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC).

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Link to study "Using Data-Driven Insights to Explore the Variability in Pupils’ Physical Activity Between English Primary Schools", https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2024-0868

Notes For more information, please contact:
University of Bath Press Office
Tel: 01225 386319
Email: press@bath.ac.uk   

About the University of Bath

The University of Bath is one of the UK's leading universities, recognised for high-impact research, excellence in education, an outstanding student experience and strong graduate prospects.

• We are ranked among the top 10% of universities globally, placing 132nd in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
• We are ranked in the top 10 in all of the UK’s major university guides.
• The University achieved a triple Gold award in the last Teaching Excellence Framework 2023, the highest awards possible, for both the overall assessment and for student outcomes and student experience. The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a national scheme run by the Office for Students (OfS).
• We are The Times and The Sunday Times Sport University of the Year 2026

Research from Bath is helping to change the world for the better. Across the University’s three Faculties and School of Management, our research is making an impact in society, leading to low-carbon living, positive digital futures, and improved health and wellbeing. Find out all about our Research with Impact: https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/research-with-impact/

 

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Journal

Journal of Physical Activity and Health

DOI

10.1123/jpah.2024-0868 

Article Title

Using Data-Driven Insights to Explore the Variability in Pupils’ Physical Activity Between English Primary Schools

Article Publication Date

24-Sep-2025

 

How the fraud protection system is wrongly brandishing thousands of innocent banking customers

Fraud markers are meant to flag criminals but new expert research suggests hundreds of thousands of unknowing banking customers could be red-flagged

Taylor & Francis Group

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Hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting banking customers could be unknowingly slapped with a fraud marker without even knowing about it.

Financial crime expert Jeremy Asher reveals in his new comprehensive book about the devastating toll that ordinary and, crucially, innocent, people can suffer when wrongly labelled as being linked with fraud.

With university students returning to campuses this week, Asher warns that they are particularly vulnerable to fraud due to financial inexperience.

The rampant growth in fraud-related crime means that two in five criminal offences are fraud-related, costing the UK economy billions each year.

In response, a public-private defence system has been developed, but a vital part of it involves issuing so-called fraud markers onto individuals and their accounts where a potentially fraudulent transaction or application has been made.

But ordinary banking customers risk being incorrectly labelled with fraud markers, and often only find out when problems with their accounts emerge or requests for loans or credit fail.

This punishment can occur even if a third-party makes an error on an individual’s behalf, or even if a criminal sets up a fake business using someone else’s real identity.

What’s more, trying to get fraud markers removed can push people to the brink, with some even considering ending their own lives.

Huge problem

Around 2 million fraud markers were in effect in 2022 via Cifas, the Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System, one of the main systems through which fraud markers are delivered.

In-depth research by Asher reveals that in 2022 Cifas itself upheld  nearly 17 per cent of the 868 requests to remove its markers, which he believes could mean several hundred thousand markers have been “incorrectly loaded and are unfair”.

The impact on individuals can be significant, with Asher stating that many of his clients seldom discuss the issue publicly even if they have successfully had fraud markers removed.

That’s because of the social stigma they fear due to being the subject of a fraud marker.

Several case studies in Asher’s book bring to life the stress and hardship caused when fraud markers are incorrectly loaded against people.

Issues range from difficulties securing finance through to a heart-wrenching example of a female victim of domestic abuse, whose repeated efforts to prove her innocence continually fell on deaf ears.

“Her mental health declined and following a desperate call from her in which I was left in no doubt that she was about to attempt suicide I called the police who thankfully went to her immediate assistance,” Asher says.

“She did not have the stomach to take her appeal further.”

Easy come, difficult go

A significant issue with fraud markers is how easily they can be applied but how difficult, or sometimes even impossible, they are to have removed.

Asher states that many of the cases he takes on for people wrongly given fraud markers “would not have come to my attention had a criminal standard of proof been applied and thorough investigations taken place”.

He criticises the move to lower the standard of proof that organisations need to jump, likening it to reducing it to a civil level even though the victim is essentially being accused of a criminal offence.

“[Fraud markers] are akin to the type of fixed penalty notices that are imposed in the criminal justice system, such as by the police in relation to minor motoring offences,” Asher said.

“However, there are important distinctions, not least that fraud markers are issued without notice, they are secretive, and there is no right to judicial oversight at the time a marker is loaded.”

Asher notes that while a speeding driver can challenge the evidence, accept the proposed penalty, seek an alternative penalty (like a speed awareness course) or ask a court to decide their guilt, the recipient of a fraud marker is offered no such routes.

“The punishment aspect of fraud markers is through the subject being barred from obtaining mainstream credit and banking facilities or by having to pay a premium should they be lucky enough to find an organisation willing to accept the higher risk posed,” Asher added.

Post Office parallels

Trying to appeal a fraud marker is ‘anything but straightforward’, according to Asher, who notes the injustices against ‘genuinely innocent’ people is likely to be wider than that caused by the Post Office Horizon scandal.

In an echo of the Post Office saga, organisations that load fraud markers are essentially the notional judge, jury and executioner.

“The concept of fair banking is more concerned with ensuring that the products and services offered by financial organisations are fair,” Asher states.

“As demonstrated, fraud markers are loaded and policed by private organisations, with some organisations paying little regard to common notions of justice and fairness.

“Their decisions can be unfair, cruel even. I am concerned at the level of injustice I see, every day.”

The book contains information about how the various databases operate, and explains how and why they were developed to help combat the rise of fraud and money laundering in the UK.

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DOI

10.4324/9781003588542 

 

Why did Neanderthals go to the beach?

SURF'S UP,MAN,COWBUNGA

University of Seville

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An international study, published in the journal Scientific Reports by Nature Publishing Group, has revealed a new Neanderthal site in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Algarve coast of Portugal. More specifically, it describes the first traces of Neanderthal hominids in Portugal, representing a significant advance in our understanding of the human presence on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula during the period known as the Pleistocene.

The work is led by Carlos Neto de Carvalho, geologist and palaeontologist at IDL-University of Lisbon and scientific coordinator of the Naturtejo UNESCO Global Geopark, with the participation of Fernando Muñiz Guinea, professor in the Department of Crystallography, Mineralogy and Agricultural Chemistry at the University of Seville. The study has also benefited from contributions from other universities and research centres in Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar, Italy, Denmark and China. It is an "interdisciplinary study on the ecological and behavioural analysis of the fossilised footprint record in southern Portugal," say Neto de Carvalho and Fernando Muñiz.

A unique window into everyday behaviour
The first Neanderthal footprints in Portugal were discovered in two different locations in the Algarve: Praia do Monte Clérigo, in rocks dating back some 78,000 years, and Praia do Telheiro, dating back 82,000 years. At Monte Clérigo, 5 tracks and 26 footprints have been identified, left by adults and children just over a year old on a steep slope of what was once a coastal dune. At Praia do Telheiro, an isolated footprint attributed to a teenager or adult female has been discovered, associated with other fossilised footprints of birds typical of coastal and rocky environments.

The study of Neanderthal footprints offers several unique and complementary advantages over other types of archaeological remains, such as bones or tools. These footprints, preserved in sediments or sedimentary rocks, constitute a direct record of the behaviour at a specific moment in time of the Neanderthals who produced them. The footprints show the physical presence of a Neanderthal in a specific place, unlike artefacts, which may have been transported or abandoned. 

"Footprints record a specific moment, almost instantaneously, allowing us to reconstruct what was happening; for example, a group walk, a chase, a flight, or presence in a particular landscape. The footprints show how Neanderthals used space, how they explored coastal environments, forests, dunes or riverbanks, something that is difficult to infer solely from artefacts," argue Neto de Carvalho and Muñiz. 

Through the number, size and arrangement of the footprints, it is possible to infer the minimum number of individuals present, their age range (children, adolescents, adults) or the possible division of tasks (e.g. a hunting party). Children and babies, who rarely leave archaeological traces, can be identified by their footprints (which are smaller), revealing more about the social structure: "footprints offer a unique and dynamic window into everyday behaviour: a snapshot of life tens of thousands of years ago," explain the authors.

The footprints studied by the research team indicate locomotion strategies adapted to the terrain, suggesting route planning, proximity to the camp, possible hunting behaviour and coexistence with other species. For example, one of the tracks shows the interaction between human footprints and those of a deer produced simultaneously, reinforcing the hypothesis of pursuit or ambush practices in a dune context.

A diet rich in deer, horses and hares
The research also uses ecological network analysis based on mathematical network theory to relate data from other known coastal archaeological sites in the Iberian Peninsula, confirming that the Neanderthal diet in these regions consisted mainly of deer, horses and hares, complemented by marine and coastal resources, indicating a diversified dietary strategy.

These new findings demonstrate that Neanderthals were more versatile and ecologically and cognitively adapted to coastal environments than previously believed, offering exceptional insight into their behaviour, mobility and social organisation.

 

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Journal

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-025-06089-4 

Article Title

Neanderthal coasteering and the first Portuguese hominin tracksites

 

Biodiversity strengthens pollinators and ensures stable yields

University of Würzburg

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An earth bumblebee, a stone bumblebee and a honeybee in one of the sunflower fields investigated as part of the study.

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Credit: (Image: Valentina Vey)

For their study, researchers from the University of Würzburg (JMU), together with the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture, analysed 29 sunflower fields in northern Bavaria – 15 organically and 14 conventionally farmed. They wanted to know which factors influence wild pollinators and how this affects agricultural yields. They took into account both the conditions in individual fields and the structure of the surrounding landscape.

To determine the contribution of insects, they used a simple experiment: some sunflower heads were protected from pollinators with fine nets, others were left open. The result: On average, freely pollinated sunflowers achieved around 25 per cent higher yields - regardless of whether they were grown on organically or conventionally farmed fields.

Different Requirements, Common Benefits

The analysis showed clear differences between different pollinator groups: "Bumblebees, for example, benefited from a high proportion of organically farmed fields," explains Denise Bertleff, first author of the study and biologist at the Department of Animal Ecology. "We were able to show that If you increase the proportion of such areas from 10 to 20 per cent, this almost doubles the bumblebee population."

The abundance of solitary bees, on the other hand, is based on the size of semi-natural habitats such as hedges, calcareous grasslands or orchards. "Our study shows that agriculture can be organised in a way that promotes biodiversity," says Bertleff. "A diverse landscape, for example by deliberately leaving weeds standing, makes harvests more stable and safeguards biodiversity."

Study Provides Recommendations for Practical Action

The researchers used their data to derive several recommendations for action for farmers, policy-makers and nature conservation advisors:

• Manage more land in a region organically: This strengthens the number of pollinators – even on conventional fields.
• Preserve semi-natural habitats such as hedges, calcareous grasslands and orchards: Such areas are essential for pollinators, especially for solitary bees.
• Allow moderate amounts of weeds: They provide important food sources for wild bees and hoverflies without necessarily reducing yields.
• Avoid excessively large flowering areas: If too many crops flower in one area at the same time, there is a risk of dilution effects because pollinators are spread over larger areas. This can reduce pollination performance in individual fields.

The project was funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) on the basis of a resolution passed by the German Bundestag. The project was organised by the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE).

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Journal

Journal of Applied Ecology

DOI

10.1111/1365-2664.7015 

Article Title

Wild pollinators and honeybees respond differently to landscape-scale organic farming and increase sunflower yields

 

Childhood concussions may trigger long-term brain changes

Researchers call for extended care and monitoring after pediatric head injuries

University of California - Riverside

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Andre Obenaus is a a professor of biomedical sciences at UC Riverside’s School of Medicine.

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Credit: Stan Lim, UC Riverside.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- A new study in mice reports that concussions sustained early in life can cause subtle brain changes that re-emerge later in life. The findings, published in Experimental Neurology, may have significant implications for understanding the long-term impact of head injuries in children.

Led by Andre Obenaus, a professor of biomedical sciences at UC Riverside’s School of Medicine, the study used advanced brain imaging techniques to identify initial signs of injury that appeared to resolve, only to return months later as more severe white matter damage.

Obenaus explained that a single concussion in early life can lead to lasting changes in white matter — the fibers in your brain that serve as communication pathways — potentially altering brain structure and function throughout an individual’s lifetime. The findings highlight the need for ongoing monitoring and care following head injuries in children, he said.

“We’ve known that white matter is vulnerable after traumatic brain injury,” Obenaus said. “What’s been missing, however, is a comprehensive, long-term look at how a single juvenile concussion affects the brain over time. Our findings fill that gap and show that brain changes from early-life concussions may not be immediately obvious, but they can reappear and worsen over time.”

In their experiments, Obenaus and his colleagues gave adolescent mice a concussion and then conducted MRI scans at seven different points over 18 months — the majority of the animal’s lifespan. The team used a specialized type of imaging known as diffusion tensor imaging, which maps white matter and helps detect microstructural damage.

They found that the injury disrupted the normal growth and organization of the corpus callosum, a vital white matter tract that connects the left and right sides of the brain. These changes were exacerbated by 18 months after injury. The researchers observed early disruptions in a key white matter metric called fractional anisotropy, a measure of the asymmetry as water moves through the brain. While these changes appeared to normalize shortly after the injury, significant deterioration reappeared later in life, particularly following more severe concussions.

In uninjured mice, the researchers found white matter structure showed steady, healthy development over time. But in mice that experienced concussion, they saw an early plateau in in white matter diffusion characteristics. Particularly in the more severe injury group, they found changes in brain imaging measures with age, pointing to long-term disruption in brain connectivity. 

“These effects were most pronounced in the frontal portion of the corpus callosum that is involved in many key cognitive functions,” Obenaus said.

At the end of the study, the researchers examined the brains for signs of inflammation. They found notable changes in microglia, the brain’s immune cells, and, to a lesser extent, astrocytes, which help to maintain brain function. Their statistical analysis linked microglial activation to the long-term white matter changes, suggesting neuroinflammation may play a key role in delayed brain damage.

“We found the shape and behavior of microglia and astrocytes were significantly altered in concussed mice, suggesting the concussion set off a cascade of biological changes that persisted long after the initial injury,” Obenaus said. “This shows a single concussion during childhood doesn’t just cause temporary symptoms. It can trigger subtle but lasting changes to the brain’s structure.”

Although the study was conducted in mice, the findings approximate patterns seen in humans. Children and adolescents who suffer a concussion often recover quickly, but research has increasingly shown that brain connectivity and cognitive function can deteriorate years later.

“Our work reinforces the importance of long-term monitoring,” Obenaus said. “Children who experience a concussion should not be declared ‘fully recovered’ based only on short-term symptoms. Subtle changes may take years to show up and, by then, interventions may be more difficult.”

Obenaus was joined in the research by Brenda P. Noarbe, Sean D. Noarbe, and Yu Chiao Lee of UC Irvine; Jeong Bin Lee of Loma Linda University; and Polina E. Panchenko, Fang Tong, Claire Bottini, and Jerome Badaut of the French National Centre for Scientific Research.

The research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health.

The title of the paper is “Progressive lifespan modifications in the corpus callosum following a single concussion in juvenile male mice monitored by diffusion MRI.”

The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment is more than 26,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual impact of more than $2.7 billion on the U.S. economy. To learn more, visit www.ucr.edu.

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Journal

Experimental Neurology

DOI

10.1016/j.expneurol.2025.115455 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Progressive lifespan modifications in the corpus callosum following a single concussion in juvenile male mice monitored by diffusion MRI