‘Lack of urgency’ in tracing thousands of children missing from education and unknown to authorities   Â
More than 11,500 children in England went missing from education over the course of one year – despite having previously attended. New analysis found these children went missing between spring 2022 and spring 2023 – and many have particular vulnerabilities that makes tracing them even more urgent. It provides, for the first time, a clearer […]
Children Missing Education: The Unrolled Story
Every child has a fundamental right to an education, yet more than 100,000 children each year are being denied this basic right. These children, many of whom have slipped through the cracks of our education system, are not just numbers—they are young lives at risk of being forgotten. I am deeply concerned about this situation, […]
Protecting children online: Why we need to act now to keep children safe from online dangers
An abridged version of the below blog appeared in The Sun’s Fab Daily column on September 7th. As Children’s Commissioner I’ve heard from more than a million young people and been utterly shocked to hear from primary school aged children that they’ve seen extreme content online like porn, violence and other inappropriate content. Children across […]
Children’s Commissioner responds to new figures on children referred to mental health support for anxiety Â
Last week I was horrified to see the latest NHS statistics which showed that more than 500 children a day in England are being referred to mental health services for anxiety. This is more than double the rate than before the pandemic. Â Official figures show in 2023-24 there were 204,526 new referrals of patients […]
The Children’s Commissioner’s School Survey 2024
As Children’s Commissioner, I have statutory powers under Section 2F of the Children Act 2004 to collect data relating to children and all public sector organisations in England are legally required to provide data I request. This request is not subject to the same exemptions as a Freedom of Information request, for more information see […]
Advisory board
The Children’s Commissioner’s Advisory Board challenges and advises the office and meets four-six times a year. The Advisory Board, a requirement of the Children and Families Act 2014, is made up of representatives from across children’s and wider sectors. The Advisory Board advises on how the powers of the Children’s Commissioner can be used to […]
Audit and risk committee
The Children’s Commissioner’s audit and risk committee provides advice, challenge and scrutiny to the office, including: The committee meets four-five times a year and is made up of representatives from across children’s and wider sectors with a range of backgrounds and experiences. One member must be a qualified accountant, and the chair of the committee […]
Ofsted’s Big Listen – an opportunity to rebuild trust and fairness in inspection
The Children’s Commissioner responds to measures proposed by His Majesty’s Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver to ‘build a better Ofsted’, in response to the results of its survey the Big Listen, Every child, no matter their background, wants a fantastic education in a school where they feel safe and happy, with the opportunity to make […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on removing single headline Ofsted judgements Â
This is a significant step forward in rebuilding trust between Ofsted and the teaching profession. Removing one-word judgements will start giving headteachers and school leaders confidence that inspections more transparently and fairly reflect the complex realities of school life. For too long, the inspection process has been high stakes and over-simplified, instead of an opportunity […]
Back to school 2024 Â
This week is important to many children around the country, with the start of the new academic year. Whether a child is going to school for the first time, starting a new school, making the transition to secondary school from primary, or returning after the summer for another year, the first week back is an […]
Help at Hand – stepping in when disabled children’s rights to education are not upheld
Help at Hand is here to support the most vulnerable children in society, many of whom struggle to have their voices heard for a variety of reasons. Some cases stand out because they are particularly sad or shocking, or because of how strikingly they illustrate flaws in the system. This is true of Sonny*, a […]
Help at Hand – improving access to advocacy for children in inadequate homesÂ
This week we are highlighting the work of Help at Hand, the Children’s Commissioner’s advice and representation service for children in care, children with a social worker, children living away from home (often in hospital or custody) and care leavers up to 25. In April 2023, the Children’s Commissioner’s office entered into an agreement with […]
Archived Content
Improving the living situation of children living in secure accommodation
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commisioner for England, has written to Vicky Ford MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, Lucy Frazer QC MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Justice and Nadine Dorries MP, Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health regarding concerns about children in living in secure accommodation, particularly those […]
Children in custody during lockdown
Since the start of the Covid pandemic, the Children’s Commissioner’s Office has investigated and highlighted concerns about the treatment of children in secure settings. Our briefing in May used data collected from the Youth Custody Service (YCS) alongside a series of interviews with children to shine a light on conditions for children in custody during […]
Help at Hand annual report 2020
Our 2020 annual report for Help at Hand, our advice line for children in care.
Response to the DfE’s announcement on unregulated accommodation for children in care
Anne Longfield, responding to the DfE’s announcement on unregulated accommodation for children in care, said: “The Government’s ban on unregulated provision for under-16s in care is very welcome, but needs to go further and include all under-18s. There are too many teenage children in care living in completely unsuitable and sometimes dangerous accommodation, including hostels […]
Five things you need to know about SEN in schools
How children’s needs are met (or go unmet) in schools, and the implications of these for the SEND Review and other reforms
Building back better
When I became Children’s Commissioner for England six years ago, I set out an ambitious vision for a nation where childhood is understood and celebrated and where the voice of all children is listened to at the heart of Government. I had in mind a particular group of children who, in my experience of working […]
Building back better – Anne Longfield’s final speech as Children’s Commissioner
 Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, has delivered her final speech in post with a challenge to the Prime Minister to show he is serious about children by putting them at the heart of his post-Covid plans. Her speech warned that the Prime Minister’s promise to ‘level up’ will be ‘just a slogan unless […]
Speech
Characteristics of children entering care for the first time as teenagers
Last year, research from my office showed that even before the pandemic, there were 120,000 highly vulnerable children in England who were falling through the gaps in education and social care. This group of children – equivalent to 1 in 25 13-17 year olds – all had significant additional needs and vulnerabilities but were not […]
Spend over £25,000: 2020 – 2021
We publish details of all spending over £25,000 on a quarterly basis. 1 April 2020 – 30 June 2020 Nil 1 July 2020 – 30 September 2020 Transaction date Merchant name Transaction amount Entity Details 14/08/2020 National Audit Office £33,600.00 OCC External Audit Services 1 October 2020 – 31 December 2020 Nil 1 January 2021 […]
Still not safe
The public health response to youth violence
