Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on new RHSE proposals
As Children’s Commissioner, children have told me they want high quality relationships and sex education that teaches them about the themes and subjects affecting their lives. As a former teacher and headteacher I know children will seek answers to their questions, and my research has shown that children are increasingly seeing – or even seeking […]
Moving more to improve mental health: Mental Health Awareness Week and The Big Ambition for Sport roundtable
This week is Mental Health Awareness Week, organised by the Mental Health Foundation. The theme this year is about getting everyone moving more to improve their mental health. The Children’s Commissioner and her Youth Ambassadors recently hosted a roundtable with the Youth Sport Trust and shared the importance of physical activity to support children’s mental […]
Nearly a third of children in alternative provision did not sustain a positive destination after Year 11
As Children’s Commissioner, I have visited hundreds of children from across the country and spoken to them about their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. While many children talk to me about how to improve childhood, they also talk about their visions for the future. Through these conversations, I have seen the sheer scale of ambition this […]
An Alternative Route: Post-16 support for young people attending Alternative Provision
As Children’s Commissioner, I have visited hundreds of children from across the country and spoken to them about their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. While many children talk to me about how to improve childhood, they also talk about their visions for the future. Through these conversations, I have seen the sheer scale of ambition this […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on Ofcom’s draft Children’s Code
I welcome the publication of Ofcom’s draft Children’s Code, and, as a statutory consultee, I will be considering whether its proposed measures meet what children and Parliament have said needs to change. It is my hope that its implementation alongside other protections in the Online Safety Act will mark a significant step forward in the […]
The Big Ambition for a Better World
Compared to previous generations, today’s children are incredibly socially aware and politically engaged. They want to see a fairer, more equitable world, they are active in creating positive change and leaving a lasting impact for future generations to come. This desire for a more just society was one of the strongest messages identified in The […]
Abuse at Whitefield School – Children’s Commissioner’s response
The investigation by the BBC into abuse at Whitefield School in Walthamstow is absolutely shocking. I am horrified by the content of the CCTV footage and the scale of what was uncovered. My heart goes out to any child who experienced that and the families who have never been given the full details of what […]
Projects and Engagement Officer
Salary: HEO £35,733 – £39,369 per annum Hours: Full-time Do you want to make a tangible difference to the lives of children across England? Can you use your skills to be a catalyst for creating meaningful change? Are you ready to join a committed team dedicated to giving children and young people a voice on […]
The Big Ambition for Jobs and Skills
As Children’s Commissioner, it is my privilege to speak to hundreds of thousands of children about their lives, their hopes and dreams for the future. I want children to be ambitious about their futures as well as about their present – and overwhelmingly, they are. What’s clear is this is an ambitious generation, who want […]
Statement from the Children’s Commissioner on strengthened strip search proposals
The Children’s Commissioner for England responds to Home Office proposals to amend Police and Criminal Evidence (PACE) Codes to strengthen regulation around the use of strip and search powers on children. The Commissioner will be responding to the Government’s proposals in detail as part of the formal consultation. “Since the shocking and avoidable circumstances of […]
The Big Ambition for Online Safety
As Children’s Commissioner, I have spoken to thousands of children about the impact of the online world on their lives and wellbeing, and how much time they spend online. It was clear in The Big Ambition that children do not see a difference between their online world and offline world. Children want to engage with […]
The Big Ambition for Safety from Crime
As Children’s Commissioner, I have heard from hundreds of thousands of children, parents and carers about children’s life experiences, what they want to achieve and the challenges they face. A strong theme emerging from children was the desire to feel safe and confident in public spaces. Making sure that children and young people feel safe […]
Archived Content
Who are they? Where are they?
Children locked up At any given time almost fifteen hundred children in England are ‘locked up’ in secure children’s homes, secure training centre, young offenders institutions, mental health wards and other residential placements, either for their own safety or the safety of others. These are some of the most vulnerable children in the country who, […]
Almost 1,500 children in England are locked up by the state at a cost of a third of a billion a year
New data collection identifies more than 200 children who are deprived of their liberty but ‘lost’ in the system
Foster Care Fortnight 2019: Changing futures
When I ask children in care what has helped in their lives, they never say things like, “It was my Pathway Plan” or “It was the Children and Social Work Act 2017.” What they tell me is the name of a person. It might be a social worker or a personal adviser. But for so […]
Exclusions from mainstream schools
We have long been concerned with the high numbers of children being excluded from mainstream schools, including those with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND). A recent report from IPPR, Making the Difference, argued that alongside the growing number of official exclusions, there are also significant issues with how unofficial exclusions are being used by […]
Response from the Children’s Commissioner for England to Edward Timpson’s school exclusions review
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, responding to the publication of the independent review into school exclusions, said: “I welcome this thorough report from Edward Timpson. Our own research has shown that it is a minority of schools which are responsible for the majority of exclusions and that so-called ‘off-rolling’ as well as formal exclusions […]
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HCLG Select Committee report shows children’s services are in crisis
Today’s report from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee doesn’t pull its punches: children’s services need an extra £3.1bn in funding to survive, and that’s just the start. Coming on the back of highly critical reports from the Public Accounts Committee and the National Audit Office, the report paints a picture of malign […]
Children’s Commissioner responds to HCLG Select Committee report on children’s services
Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, responding to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee report into the funding of children’s services, said: “This hard-hitting report highlights the risks of continuing to starve children’s services of the vital funds they need to protect our most vulnerable children. We are spending more and more […]
Teens in care and care leavers challenge perceptions and share successes on IMO
IMO (‘in my opinion’) is a peer-led digital platform for teenagers in care and care leavers; created by teens with care experience with help from the Children’s Commissioner for England. It is somewhere they can share stories, experiences and achievements, get and give advice, and access lots of great free stuff and exclusive opportunities. The […]
Children’s Commissioner responds to the ICO’s consultation on online safety
Anne Longfield, responding to the ICO’s consultation on online safety, said: “The internet is an extraordinary thing but it was not built with children in mind. I want children to have the information, resilience and power they need to engage positively in the online world, rather than falling foul to companies and platforms which do […]
