New analysis ranks 50 major English urban centres on the support, care and community signals that help children grow up in kinder environments.
The North East town led the ranking with the highest Kindness Index Score in the study, scoring particularly well for childcare quality and community interest in kindness.
Slough had the lowest combined rate, at 4.85 per 100 pupils.
York led with 107.03 children’s charities per 10,000 under-18s.
Blackpool ranked first at £2,818 per child.
Salford ranked first with 289 searches per 10,000 people.
Practical advice from Kathy Leatherbarrow, former Ofsted inspector and early years specialist at Eden Training Solutions.
Children copy what they see and hear. Thanking a bus driver, holding a door or checking in on someone becomes a learning moment when adults explain why it matters.
When a child talks about a disagreement, ask whether the response was kind, necessary or helpful. This encourages them to pause and think before they speak or act.
Pause to ask how a character might be feeling, especially if they seem left out, worried or upset. This helps children see situations from someone else’s point of view.
| Rank | City | Region | Score | Ofsted % | Expulsion & Suspension Rate |
Children’s Charities per 10k Under-18s |
Youth Service Funding (£ per child) |
Teaching Kindness Searches Per 10k People |
|---|
We ranked 50 English towns and cities using five equally weighted indicators. Each indicator was converted into a percentile score, then combined into one final Kindness Index. Lower exclusion and suspension rates scored higher.
The percentage of registered early-years and childcare providers rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted.
The combined permanent exclusions and suspensions rate per 100 pupils. Lower rates were scored more positively.
Active registered charities focused on children and young people, normalised by the under-18 population.
Local authority Net Current Expenditure on children and young people's services per under-18 resident.
Aggregated local searches for kindness-related education terms, normalised per 10,000 people.
Eden Training Solutions provides apprenticeships and CPD training for early years, childcare and schools, helping learners build the knowledge, confidence and care needed to make a positive difference to children's lives.