Education and Child Health Insights from Linked Data (ECHILD) - England
ECHILD is a flagship ADR England-enabled dataset that links administrative records across health, education and social care to create a longitudinal picture of children and young people’s lives. It enables researchers to explore how early-life circumstances, health needs, educational experiences and access to services interact to shape outcomes.
During this phase of the project, ECHILD’s research potential has expanded through the addition of new data sources and enhancements to the resource. The Individualised Learner Record (ILR), which covers learners participating in publicly funded further education and skills training, has recently been added to ECHILD. This extends the dataset beyond compulsory education, enabling researchers to explore young people’s transitions into further education alongside their earlier health and education experiences.
Further enhancements are also planned, including the addition of Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data, subject to approval processes, which will provide new opportunities to understand education pathways beyond further education. The ECHILD team is also undertaking a major data refresh, with education data being updated to include the 2024/25 academic year and health data updated to December 2025, ensuring the resource remains current for researchers.
ECHILD supports research into key policy questions including special educational needs and disabilities, health inequalities, school attendance, educational attainment and children’s life chances. By bringing together information held across previously separate systems, ECHILD enables researchers to understand how different aspects of children’s lives interact and generate evidence to support better policy and services.
Alongside expanding the dataset itself, the ECHILD team has continued to build research capability through training, seminars, guidance and engagement with researchers, policymakers and the public. These activities are helping more researchers make use of linked administrative data responsibly and effectively.
Continued development of ECHILD’s linked data sources, documentation and user support will help strengthen its role as a national research resource, enabling research that improves understanding of children’s experiences and informs decisions about services and support.
