Confederation of School Trusts 2022 conference: Truly Civic
Thank you, Leora, for inviting me to speak at the Confederation of Schools Trusts (CST) 2022 conference – it was an honour. From poet Harry Baker to Dr Jo Saxton, chief regulator of Ofqual, it really was a ‘Truly Civic’ conference. Please see below my speech from the conference. Good morning everyone – I am […]
The Children’s Commissioner publishes Voices of England’s Missing Children report
Last year, I launched The Big Ask survey, to hear from England’s children about what matters most to them. Just over half a million children responded to The Big Ask – making it the largest-ever survey of children in the world. What I heard was inspiring, we are dealing with an ambitious group of children […]
Voices of England’s Missing Children
This report identifies the key reasons why children are not in school and puts forward a blueprint to help make sure all children are in school, ready to learn, every day.
The Children’s Commissioner speaks at Ministerial roundtable on children’s experiences of racism and the case of Child Q
Today, I attended a roundtable at the Department for Education to speak about children’s views and experiences of racism. This was following the shocking and appalling case of Child Q, a 15 year-old girl who was strip-searched by the police at her school. We discussed what needs to change so that lessons are learned from […]
Resources for schools
Back into School resources for schools from the Children’s Commissioner
Making sure young carers are visible, valued & supported
This week is national Carers Week, an annual campaign to raise awareness of the experiences of those who have caring responsibilities. Over the last few months, my team has been conducting an Attendance Audit, a series of deep dives in 10 local authorities (LAs) to understand the experiences of children who are not attending school […]
Children’s Commissioner hosts workshop to put children at the heart of data sharing
Last Thursday (12th May), the Children’s Commissioner convened partners from across education, health, care, local and national Government to talk about how we can put children at the heart of data-sharing. This roundtable was alongside John Edwards, the Information Commissioner, and his office. The Children’s Commissioner’s aim was for the workshop to mark a real […]
The Children’s Commissioner’s response to the Queen’s Speech
I am really pleased to see some important measures being introduced in today’s Queen’s Speech. Some of these I have been calling for, on children’s behalf, based on the things they have told me are important to them. Online Safety Bill I am glad to see the Online Safety Bill carried over from the previous […]
Speech
Business Plan 2022-23
Foreword from Dame Rachel de Souza My first and most important task as Children’s Commissioner for England is to listen to the voices of children up and down the country, particularly those who don’t always have their voices heard, to understand what matters most to them, and what help they need to have good childhoods […]
Business Plan 2022-2023
The Children’s Commissioner’s Business Plan for 2022-23
The Big Ask Voices: Shining a light on young carers
March 16 marks National Young Carers’ Action Day and this year we would like to shine a light on what young carers told us in The Big Ask about their lives and priorities, their aspirations and worries for the future. The Big Ask is the biggest ever survey of children across England, with over half […]
One year as Children’s Commissioner: March 2021-March 2022
Foreword from Children’s Commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza On the first anniversary of my appointment as Children’s Commissioner, I am publishing this report to reflect on my office’s work and achievements for children over the last twelve months. It has been an absolute honour to take on this crucial role, sitting at the […]
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 […]
