No more known unknowns
My Attendance Audit so far has included surveying all local authorities, carrying out a deep-dive in 10 local authorities to get to the root of school absence and a detailed investigation of the daily attendance patterns in autumn 2021. A consistent finding from all this research was that there are children who have become ‘known […]
The end of a busy term at the Children’s Commissioner’s office
At the end of a busy term, this post is a chance to share what my team and I have been up to over the last few months and reflect on progress made. My Attendance Audit has continued apace. This is the deep dive project my team and I have undertaken with ten local areas […]
Resources for families
Back into School resources for families from the Children’s Commissioner
FED’s vision for the education system
Last week, I joined the Federation of Educational Development (FED) for the launch of their National Education Consultation Report 2022, in the House of Lords. It was an honour to be amongst so many headteachers, trust leaders and professionals that are working to create an education system that listens to and works for children. In […]
Starting ‘Big’ school in September – an assembly for year six pupils
Last week I published my latest report, Back into school: New insights into school absence – evidence from three multi-academy trusts, as part of my Attendance Audit. It is a deep-dive into autumn 2021 attendance, and I’m really excited that what we found confirmed just how important attendance in the first week in September is. […]
Let’s get ready for September
As Children’s Commissioner for England, it is my job to listen to children. To make sure that everyone understands what they need to thrive, to be happy and healthy. I want every child to feel heard and listened to. That their views, experiences and outcomes are prioritised. Last year I launched The Big Ask survey, […]
Back into school: New insights into school absence – evidence from three multi-academy trusts
This report shows how important the first few days of a new term are for ensuring good attendance.
Giving evidence to the Education Select Committee
Today, I appeared in front of the Education Select Committee for my Accountability Hearing. This Committee is a group of MPs from different political parties who elected Robert Halfon MP to be their Chair. The Committee focuses on issues to do with children and young people, and the Committee also hold me to account in […]
What leads to a child being out of school?
On 15 June I published the findings from my Attendance Audit, my exploration across 10 local authorities of the experiences of children who are not attending school regularly or who are out of school altogether. The report, ‘Voices of England’s Missing Children’, details the solutions and practical ideas the young people and my team have […]
What we learnt from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller children who responded to The Big Ask
As Children’s Commissioner I am dedicated to championing the voices of all children which is why I was delighted when 2,300 children and young people that self-identified as Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller (GRT) submitted responses to The Big Ask last year – the largest ever survey of children in England. As Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller […]
Help at Hand: Helping Children Get Back into Education
The Children’s Commissioner’s Help at Hand service offers advice and assistance to children in care, children working with social services, children living away from home, and care leavers. As part of the Commissioner’s Attendance Audit, the office has conducted research into what more can be done to support children who are struggling to attend school. In addition […]
Young carers speak about the importance of having a young carers champion in school
Yesterday my office attended the monthly Attendance Action Alliance. One of the groups we discussed was young carers and how they can be supported to attend school. For Carers Week 2022, I published a blog post setting out a summary of my vision for support for young carers. On 15 June, I published the findings […]
Archived Content
School attendance since September
In March 2020 schools across England closed for nearly all pupils. Those allowed to attend rarely did, and even a partial re-opening of schools in July saw a peak school attendance of just 17.5%. By the time schools re-opened in September, 575 million days of school had been missed by children in England. The impact […]
School return: Covid-19 and school attendance
Examining school attendance rates during and after lockdown
Roadmap to reopening schools
Policy briefing Ever since last August, the Children’s Commissioner has said “Schools must be the last to close and the first to reopen.” This is now a well-used phrase as parents, teachers, scientists, politicians and the media all recognise the massive impact that the lockdowns are having on children’s education, and even more importantly, on […]
Requesting details on Government plans to minimise learning loss during lockdown and support for reopening of schools
The Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield has today (6th January) sent a letter to the Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson, following the start of the new national lockdown, to request further details on the Government’s plans to minimise learning loss during the national lockdown and support schools to reopen as soon as possible. The […]
Lockdown school closures mean we need to act now to save children’s education and wellbeing
Since the start of the pandemic, I have pushed again and again for schools to be the last to close and the first to open in any lockdown. Yet something that seemed unthinkable only a month ago – a national closure of schools – is now happening as a result of the new, more transmissible […]
Amid the coronavirus uncertainty, millions of children are back in school
Now is a good time to reflect on the progress that has been made as children have returned to school after so many months out of the classroom. Schools, teachers and children themselves have worked so hard to adapt to a new normal, from one-way hallways to staggered drop-offs, from classroom bubbles to shorter lunch […]
Children’s Commissioner warns 420,000 children in England are at risk of eviction unless Government acts
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, is today warning that hundreds of thousands of children will return to school in two weeks with the threat of housing eviction hanging over their families, unless the Government changes its mind and extends its ban on evictions. Her intervention comes as the Children’s Commissioner’s Office publishes a new […]
Children and schools must come before pubs and shops in planning for future Covid-19 lockdowns
Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, has published a new briefing setting out the key actions needed to ensure children are at the heart of planning for any future coronavirus lockdowns, including making sure all children are back in school in September. The Children’s Commissioner argues that if any local or national lockdown takes place, schools […]
Children’s Commissioner for England creates local area profiles of child vulnerability during Covid-19
Analysis of the extent of child vulnerability around the country, much of which is hidden from sight under lockdown.
How young people are gaining valuable life skills with the police
The relationship between the police and teenagers can be fraught and complex. We often hear from some children that they don’t trust the police. They tell us they feel there is a “them against us” attitude. But at the same time, they also tell us they would like more police visibility to make them feel […]
