Body respect is a ‘we’ issue – why schools matter
At The Body Happy Organisation, we talk about body respect as a we issue, not a me issue. It’s something we build together - through the choices we make, the language we use, and the culture we create.
Body respect is about more than confidence. It’s about safety, inclusion, and belonging — and it has a direct impact on learning. Many children begin to feel ashamed of their bodies from a young age. By Year 6, appearance-based bullying is one of the most common experiences in school.
Children who are racialised, disabled, higher-weight, gender-diverse or growing up in poverty are more likely to face appearance-based stigma and less likely to receive support. But this can change.
Through our pilot work in two high–Pupil Premium secondaries and one primary, we’ve seen how a whole-school approach can create lasting impact:
Staff confidence in recognising and responding to body-based distress rose by 66.8 percentage points
Students spoke about greater empathy, connection, and confidence
One school reported hearing students challenge body shaming in corridors — not just staff
This work goes beyond PSHE. It touches safeguarding, SEND, behaviour, tutor time, uniform, and how we talk about health and food. It helps schools hold complex conversations - about consent, identity, and boundaries - with care and clarity. When body respect is embedded, students already have the language to begin from a place of trust.
And it’s not just a school issue, it’s a cross-sector one. For example, many of the families and schools we work with often raise concerns about the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), echoed in the 2021 Women and Equalities Committee report. From public health to curriculum pressures, many systems shape how children feel about their bodies.
As momentum builds behind the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill and campaigns like Our Wellbeing, Our Voice, we must include body respect in national wellbeing conversations. Appearance-based stigma and shame are often invisible drivers of poor mental health and we risk missing them if we don’t ask the right questions.
At a time when record numbers of children are accessing eating disorder support, and schools are working to create cultures of belonging and mattering, body respect must be part of the solution.
This isn’t about perfection - it’s about creating school cultures where children are supported to celebrate, respect and accept all bodies - especially their own.
Molly Forbes