Children’s Social Care Reform
Keeping children safe is the most important thing any society can do, and my responsibility towards children in care and those with a social worker is the one I hold most dear. The children’s social care system is one of the most important mechanisms the country has for keeping children safe, and there is urgent […]
Back to School
Good morning, everyone! Today is a very important day, it’s the first day of a brand-new academic year. I want to take this chance to welcome back every child across the country who is going back to school this week. Whether you’re going to school for the first ever time, starting your journey at a […]
Spotlight on: children with SEND & Mental Health missing from education
The latest attendance marks a worrying pattern – school absences are getting worse rather than better and children’s engagement with school has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The most recent figures suggest that around one in five children were persistently absent last year, up from one in ten in 2019. I wanted to understand what […]
Spotlight on: looked after children missing from education
Since starting as Children’s Commissioner, I have made it my mission to find England’s missing children and to put together a plan to get them back to school. Children who are regularly absent or missing education altogether are much more likely to come from disadvantaged backgrounds or to be vulnerable. Schools play a vital role […]
Staying safe this summer
Summer is a special time where children get to take a well-deserved break from school – even if some are looking ahead to results day nervously! It’s a really important time when children get to be children. That means seeing more of family and friends, spending time in their local area and in their communities, […]
Defining disadvantage
As the Children’s Commissioner for England, my ambition for society is one where all children have an equal opportunity to succeed in life. Over the past year my office has particularly focused on representing the needs of the most vulnerable children. ‘Disadvantaged’ is a term used to describe children facing barriers to success, however defining […]
Annual report 2022-23
Introduction by Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England When I took up post as Children’s Commissioner, over two years ago now, I wanted to make sure that every child in England felt listened to. But more than that, I wanted the adults around them to mirror the ambition they have for themselves by […]
Business plan 2023-24
Looking to a new business year, I have been reflecting on children and young people’s lives over the last couple of years and thinking about everything they have told me since I have become Children’s Commissioner. When I started in role, the impact of Covid and children’s lives returning to normal was at the forefront […]
‘Invisible’ children in care are missing school every day, unique new data shows
Children’s Commissioner for England turns the spotlight on the most vulnerable children missing from education, part of her work to urgently improve school attendance 25th May 2023: Vulnerable children in care are missing from school and at risk of becoming ‘invisible’ to the services there to support them, without any of the vital opportunities education […]
Press release
Looked after children who are not in school
Attending school, and all that comes with that experience, is something that many of us will have taken for granted over the course of our lives. I want every child to be excited about getting up for school in the morning, making new friends, learning new things and establishing formative relationships with their teachers. School […]
New support to tackle absence announced – statement in response from the Children’s Commissioner
Getting children back into school and attending consistently is an absolute priority for me. I want this for 100% of children, which means everyone has to play a role in making it happen and digging deep into the reasons why it is currently not happening. Those reasons are complex – children might have special educational […]
Statement
New support to tackle absence announced – statement in response from the Children’s Commissioner
Getting children back into school and attending consistently is an absolute priority for me. I want this for 100% of children, which means everyone has to play a role in making it happen and digging deep into the reasons why it is currently not happening. Those reasons are complex – children might have special educational […]
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.