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As Children’s Commissioner, I speak to hundreds of thousands of children every year about their life experiences, what they want to achieve and the challenges they face. A strong theme that has emerged from speaking to children has been the desire to feel safe and confident in public spaces. Making sure children feel safe in […]

As Children’s Commissioner, I have a duty to promote and protect the rights of every child. I also have a particular duty, and feel a profound responsibility, towards children who are not living with their own families. This includes the children who arrive here unaccompanied, fleeing war and persecution in their home countries.   These children […]

As Children’s Commissioner, children tell me about how their experiences of the online world impact their lives. They want to take advantage of all the positive opportunities that the online world offers them, with the chance to socialise, learn and play in online spaces.   The Big Ambition results revealed children do not see a difference […]

Children in or receiving support from care share the same hopes and dreams as their peers: they want to be supported to reach their aspirations in the same way as any other child.   My young Ambassadors have been sharing their views on each of the themes from The Big Ambition, continuing with Children’s Social Care. […]

As Children’s Commissioner, I’ve spoken to thousands of children about their lives, their hopes and their dreams for the future. It’s clear this is an ambitious generation that wants to get on and do well.   Children are eager to work hard, and they speak about not just wanting jobs but long-term careers that fulfil their […]

Statement from the Children’s Commissioner for England in response to reports by the BBC Panorama investigation Undercover School: Cruelty in the Classroom:   I’m appalled by the reports of children being bullied, mocked and put in a headlock at Life Wirral. No child should be treated so cruelly by any adult, and the footage captured […]

As Children’s Commissioner I hear from children about the importance of sport and the transformative effect it can have on their lives.   Participation in team sports is a powerful tool – it enables children to develop communication skills, create lasting friendships and build their confidence. Playing sport teaches children about setting and achieving goals, helping […]

Following the International Day of Play, it’s clear children value their free time. One theme to come out of The Big Ambition in relation to children’s free time was that children do not feel adults understand how children use recreational spaces. Children use spaces in different ways to adults – that’s why as Children’s Commissioner […]

The United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of the Child recognises ‘the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.’ As Children’s Commissioner, children tell me all the time about the […]

The physical and mental health of our children in of paramount importance as it lays the foundation for their overall wellbeing and sets them up for future success. As Children’s Commissioner, I want all children to grow up feeling happy, healthy and well, with access to support quickly and locally, when they need it. The […]

As Children’s Commissioner, I have spoken to hundreds of thousands of children, parents and carers, hearing about their experiences of school, and the challenges that prevent children from getting a good education. The Big Ambition results show this generation clearly prizes education – they see it as important in and of itself, but also as […]

Family is central to all of our lives, particularly children. The concept of family comes in many forms: for nearly every child my office has spoken to, it includes people outside of the traditional ‘immediate family’. This is an important distinction – because it isn’t how a family is made up which makes the biggest […]