Archive

Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England has been working – in various guises – with vulnerable and disadvantaged children for the last 30 years. In that time much has changed, in children’s lives, and in terms of what we know about how to help them. But one thing has remained constant – a broad consensus […]

Covid-19 has increased many of the risks facing teenagers. Not just in terms of the epidemiological risk, but also in terms of the additional risks that the lockdown itself has created, such as an increased risk of poor mental health, exposure to domestic violence and addiction in the home, and exposure to exploitation. These risks […]

When considering summer schemes, we need to remember the unprecedented impact on children’s education wrought by Covid-19. In a normal week, almost 10 million children in England would be at nursery, school or college. In the week commencing 18th May it was just 240,000 children a day – 2.4% of those who would usually attend. […]

Covid-19 has brought a unique set of difficulties for young apprentices. This group is suffering both from the employment crisis and from complications with the support that they need to learn and progress. 1 in 5 of all apprentices have been made redundant, are on a break in learning or have left their programmes. Evidence […]

Lockdown has brought with it many challenges for us all, not least restrictions on our freedoms. But for children in custody, this time has been particularly hard, as it has curtailed even the very limited freedoms they once had. Some children in custody have been spending all but 40 minutes of the day locked in […]

The thorny issue of whether children should go back to school

Children born during the coronavirus crisis

The essential public health measures that have been taken to stop the spread of Covid-19 have affected everyone in the country, and many families are struggling with additional financial and social pressures. But there are some children, who before this crisis were already vulnerable or living in precarious situations, who are facing particular hardship. These […]

This briefing sets out how this can be avoided – how schools can be supported to adapt to the “new normal” and improve access to meaningful educational opportunities for disadvantaged children.

A policy briefing on domestic abuse and it’s effects on children particularly during the coronavirus pandemic

What matters most to children today? What makes them feel good? What do they worry about? These are the questions we asked young people across England over the last few months. Their answers – about what’s good, what’s not so good and what needs to change – help us plan our work for the coming […]