Education
I want every child, no matter their background, to attend a fantastic school, every day, and to be engaged and ready to learn.
Following the pandemic, I forced the issue of attendance up the agenda. My Attendance Audit revealed new insights and kept up the pressure on absences. I conducted a nationwide census of all schools and colleges – the findings contributed to the government’s Schools White Paper. Drawing on my research I set out a clear vision to transform the education landscape, emphasising the need for not only excellent teaching but also targeted and reformed support for children with disabilities and additional needs.
My work has led to the creation of children not in school register, and greater oversight of unregulated alternative provision. Most recently, I have been working to ensure that the government’s reforms of SEND deliver the change that young people, parents and teachers all want – and I have been given a special scrutiny role
I think school is a great place for us to go everyday and we learn new things, which I will forever be grateful for.
Girl, 14
The Big Ambition
Latest Reports
My Plan for the year, 2026-27
31 March 2026
I’ve designed a version of my Business Plan aimed specifically for children and young people, sharing the projects and themes that my office will be working on. As Children’s Commissioner for England, it is my job to listen to you and take your voices to decision makers. This will be my sixth and final year […]
Report
Business Plan, 2026-27
2026–27 will be my final year as Children’s Commissioner, marking the conclusion of a six-year term that began in March 2021. It is a moment to take stock of how children’s lives have changed during that time, and to focus on the work that still needs to be done to give every child in England […]
Report
Setting young people up for success – College sector report: The Children’s Commissioner’s School and College Census
6 March 2026
In 2024, I used my data powers on schools and colleges for the first time, conducting a census to better understand the support that educational establishments offer children. This report is the third in this series. The first, The Children’s Plan, examines what whole system reform could and should look like. The second, The Children’s […]
Report
“We have the most vulnerable children, but less support” Special and alternative provision sector report: The Children’s Commissioner’s School Census
5 December 2025
Recently, my office published The Children’s Plan: The Children’s Commissioner’s School Census. For the first time, I used my data powers on schools, conducting a census to better understand how leaders and staff are supporting the children in our school system in ways far beyond teaching. For most children in England, education reforms have transformed […]
Report
School Census: Improving safety and accountability for vulnerable children
24 September 2025
As Children’s Commissioner I have the privilege of speaking to and working with thousands of professionals supporting children in every aspect of their lives. I know first-hand how caring and dedicated the vast majority of them are, and how the relationships they build with children can be transformative. But I have also seen the other […]
Report
The Children’s Plan: The Children’s Commissioner’s School Census
8 September 2025
Read The Children’s Plan: The Children’s Commissioner’s School Census in full. Read the Summary version. For the first time as Children’s Commissioner, I have used my statutory powers to ask all schools, and colleges, a set of questions. A census in response to what children told me they wanted and needed to attend, engage, attain, […]
Report
Growing up in a low-income family: Children’s experiences
8 July 2025
This report should not have to exist. Shining a light on children’s experiences of poverty in 2025, in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, should not be necessary. And yet, the findings in this work highlight real hardship; an almost-Dickensian level of poverty facing some children in England today. After four years as […]
Report
Register, Regulate and Raise Standards: The Children’s Commissioner’s view on unregistered alternative provision
4 July 2025
As Children’s Commissioner I strongly believe that every child has the right to an excellent education no matter who they are or where they live. Young people have also told me how important a good education is to them. Over the last four years I have heard from a million children through my surveys, The […]
Report
School phone policies in England: Findings from the Children’s Commissioner’s School and College Survey
10 April 2025
Over the last four years, I have spoken to a million young people and thousands of parents about the most pressing issues facing children growing up in England today. One issue that comes up time and again – from children, parents, and professionals alike – is online safety. While digital technology provides young people with […]
Report
My highlights
Children’s Plan
The Children’s Plan was my blueprint for how education and wider children’s services should evolve after Covid. It is grounded in extensive evidence, including what was the largest-ever consultation with children (The Big Ask) and new national data from schools. It aimed to redesign systems around the realities of children’s lives today rather than narrow academic outcomes.
The Plan argued that while past reforms improved school standards, they did not work for all children, particularly those with vulnerabilities such as poverty, special educational needs, or involvement with social care. It highlighted that a significant proportion of children require additional support at some point, and that schools are increasingly acting as hubs for welfare, safeguarding and emotional support, not just education. In response, the Plan proposed a shift to a “whole-child” approach.
