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 carersÂ
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
What’s it like to be a child growing up with HIV?
There are 801 children living with HIV in the UK. The charity Children’s HIV association (CHIVA) works to ensure young people living with HIV have the knowledge, skills and support needed to live well and to achieve their greatest potential. To mark World AIDS Day on December 1st, we spoke to members of CHIVA’S youth committee about […]
Growing up North: Creating better outcomes for children and young people
Author: Cllr Judith Blake, Leeds City Council Our ambition is for Leeds to be the best city for children and young people to grow up in – a crucial element of Leeds City Council’s work to become the best city in the UK by 2030. Child Friendly Leeds is the thread that brings together all […]
Shining a light on the experiences of children excluded from schools and in alternative provision
My ‘Children’s Voices’ report looks at findings from an evidence review of the views, perspectives and experiences of children who have been or at risk of being excluded from school and children in alternative provision.
Letter from Anne Longfield to Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England
Over the last year, the issue most often raised with me has been children’s mental health, and it was the top of the list in my consultation with children about my priorities for this year.