The Impact of the BBC - Children's and Education
The cornerstone of children’s media in the UK
We play a unique and irreplaceable role in informing, educating and entertaining children across the UK. As the most trusted media organisation among children, parents and teachers, we provide safe, high-quality, age-appropriate content at a time when the online environment is becoming increasingly fragmented, commercialised and risky for young people.
Across news, education and entertainment, the BBC reaches millions of children every week. This universal reach ensures that children from all backgrounds can access trusted information, storytelling which reflects the world around them, and high-quality learning resources that all contribute towards measurable social and economic benefits for the UK.
High-quality, culturally relevant children’s content
No. 1
The BBC is the UK’s no.1 commissioner of children’s content, delivering 4x more commissioned hours of children’s TV than all other UK PSBs, commercial broadcasters and global SVODs combined
85%
This econsystem supports 1,275 jobs in the UK production sector, with 85% of commissioning investment spent outside of London
Our shows promote wellbeing, cultural identity, inspire reading, creativity and participation in the arts, and provide shared experiences for families. Based on academic evidence, the overall wellbeing benefits for children associated with engaging in the BBC’s cultural content are worth over £43m annually.
We commission over 50 individual titles each year portraying life across the UK, including dramas such as Crongton, Malory Towers and The Dumping Ground; comedies like High Hoops, Pickle Storm, Waffle’s After School Club and The Football Fantastics; and factual series such as The Football Academy, Horrible Science, Blue Peter and Operation Ouch!
Trusted, impartial news for young people
No.1
As the world’s most trusted international news provider, the BBC is also the number 1 trusted news brand for children and parents
3.5 million
Newsround and BBC News provide essential, child appropriate journalism in a landscape dominated by social media and misinformation. Newsround reaches 3.5m children weekly in term time and is the most trusted news source for 7-12s
78%
Nearly 8 out of 10 parents surveyed rate Newsround as good or very good at providing suitable news for their child
Transformative educational services
BBC Bitesize is the UK’s most trusted educational brand for children, teachers and parents. It provides free, curriculum-aligned learning across all nations and subjects.
Almost 9 in 10 parents, whose children use the BBC, think the BBC’s content for children supports their child’s learning.
BBC analysis suggests that Bitesize contributes to improved exam performance for thousands of children each year, generating over £80m in long-term economic benefits, with additional research suggesting children who engage with the BBC are more socially mobile.
Bitesize for Teachers supports teachers with curriculum-related resources, CBeebies Parenting supports parents and carers in developing language skills for 0-4 year olds, and initiatives such as our Bitesize media literacy series Solve The Story help equip students and teachers with tools to tackle mis-and-disinformation.
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