11 MILLION

Fun, friends and freedom

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00 GMT

Children and young people say that freedom, friendship and active outdoor fun are the vital elements of play in a report published today by the Children’s Commissioner for England and Play England. The report, ‘Fun and Freedom’, examines how local authorities have sought children and young people’s views about play.

Statement on Children and Young People with Disabilities

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00 GMT

The European Network of Children’s Ombudspersons (ENOC) issues position statements on children’s rights issues. These are often developed by a working group of members, and then adopted formally at ENOC’s annual meeting.

The UK’s four Children’s Commissioners join forces to assess the reality of children’s lives

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

The UK’s four Children’s Commissioners are set to tell the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child the state of children’s rights across the country.

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Sir Al Aynsley-Green comments on the Government's play consultation, Fair Play.

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT

Are kids in Tamworth happy and healthy? Be the first to find out what they told the Children’s Commissioner

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT

Are kids in Grimsby happy and healthy? Be the first to find out what they told the Children’s Commissioner

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00 GMT

Children’s Commissioner uncovers failings in the care of vulnerable children

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 00:00 GMT

Are Newcastle kids happy and healthy? Be the first to find out what they told the Children’s Commissioner

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00 GMT

Children and young people from North East to tell Children’s Commissioner like it is.

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00 GMT

3,500 ULTRA-SONIC DISPERSAL DEVICES TOLD TO BUZZ OFF

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 00:00 GMT

11 MILLION COMMENT ON THE STAYING SAFE ACTION PLAN

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 00:00 GMT

Children's Commissioner response to the Government’s Obesity Strategy

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00 GMT

Primary school axes spelling tests because they are too 'distressing' for pupils. (Daily Mail)

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00 GMT

A primary school has axed spelling homework because pupils find learning lists of words 'distressing'.

UN to criticise Labour's record on child rights. (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00 GMT

The Committee on the Rights of the Child will deliver its verdict on the Government's progress in improving the quality of life of British children over the past five years. The report is predicted to say that more could have been done, and warn that too many young people are still living below the breadline and being held in custody.

One in five teachers would back return of the cane. (The Guardian)

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00 GMT

Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the children's commissioner for England, said: "All forms of physical punishment against children and young people are completely unacceptable and go against the UN convention on the rights of the child, which the UK accepted in 1991. There are far more effective and positive methods of discipline than physical punishment."

Teachers are 'being turned into social workers'. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Serious academic study is being treated as "blasphemy" in schools as timetables become increasingly focused on cutting teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and obesity, leading headmasters have warned.

Commentary: Few teachers can cope with ADHD's incendiary mix

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Many parents of children with ADHD reading today's new guidelines will not know whether to laugh or cry. Some will be distressed at the suggestion that Ritalin should be reserved for the most severe cases. For many families Ritalin and associated drugs offer a route back to normality.

Doctors urged to stop use of Ritalin for under-fives. (The Guardian)

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Ritalin, the controversial drug used to calm down hyperactive children, should not be routinely prescribed by doctors and never given to the under-fives, experts say today. They also advise that it should be given to older children only if other help has not worked.

University plan for more working-class students. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Leading universities will guarantee interviews to bright sixth-formers from the poorest homes under Government plans to broaden their social mix.

PM pledges internet access for all children. (The Independent)

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Parents are to receive vouchers worth up to £700 to ensure that all 1.4 million children growing up in homes without computers can have access to the internet, Gordon Brown will announce today.

Sats put primary pupils off science, says study. (The Guardian)

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Children's interest in science and their understanding of it are being crushed by the compulsory tests they sit at primary school, leading professors argue today.

School bans "chavvy" knot ties and 'improves discipline'. (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Teachers at the school, where two Harry Potter actors were pupils, say that behaviour and attendance has improved since the uniform adjustment. Christopher Stone, headteacher at Arthur Terry School in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, said the new dress code has also led to pupils concentrating more in classes.

Pupils given a break from ‘depressing’ homework. (The Times)

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

A top-ranking state school has slashed the amount of homework set, saying that too much of it can be “depressing” and put children off learning.

Bullied schoolgirl reaches the finals of a beauty contest. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

A schoolgirl who considered killing herself after classmates called her ugly has reached the finals of a national beauty contest.

40 pupils excluded in Academy 360 discipline crackdown

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Forty pupils at a city academy that opened only two weeks ago have been suspended. The £20 million school, named Academy 360, was created by the merger of Sunderland’s Pennywell Secondary and Quarry View Primary. Staff have been taking a strict approach to enforcing regulations governing the wearing of uniforms and banning students from leaving the premises at breaktimes.

Sex pamphlet for 6-year-olds horrifies family lobby. (The Times)

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

The country’s biggest sexual health charity has published a sex education pamphlet for six-year-olds to encourage earlier discussion of the facts of life.

Design threshold set for new secondary schools. (the Guardian)

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

New secondary school buildings will have to reach a minimum standard of design quality or they will not be given the go-ahead, schools minister Jim Knight will announce today.

Fewer parents reading to their children. (The Daily Telegraph)

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

The number of parents reading to their children regularly has fallen dramatically in the past two years, research has found.

Required reading for under-13s includes John Buchan and the Bible. (The Times)

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

By the age of 13 most children will have absorbed stories about Harry Potter, Alex Ryder or Tracey Beaker. What they should be reading, however, are the Bible, Anna Karenina and The Thirty-Nine Steps, according to a panel of writers and politicians.

Private school too posh for many middle-class parents, says MTM Consulting. (The Times)

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Many middle-class parents reject private schools because they are not socially and ethnically mixed and because they fear that their children may not fit in with wealthier classmates.

School bell tolls for Grange Hill. (The Times)

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Last night, school was out for ever on Grange Hill. After 30 years, the show was finally expelled from the BBC after years of nugatory ratings and sundry re-vamps failed to raise the show back to its former glory.

3,500-pupil academy plan. (The Guardian)

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

A council is poised to back plans today to establish the biggest school in the country, an academy catering for 3,520 pupils aged three to 19 in Nottingham.

And after maths, we have magic tricks! Harry Potter-style lessons 'boost children's confidence'

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Children should be taught magic tricks in schools to boost their confidence and self-discipline, researchers say. A study found that an hour lesson at a 'magic school' did more good for a group of 10 to 12-year-olds than their normal 'life skills' classes.

Compulsory cooking lessons for school kids. (The Times)

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Children will be expected to master recipes that would not disgrace a dinner party from a new cookbook for 11-year-olds promoted yesterday by the Government.

Leading scientist urges teaching of creationism in schools. (The Times)

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Creationism should be taught in science classes as a legitimate point of view, according to the Royal Society, putting the august science body on a collision course with the Government.

Free recipe book for pupils starts real meal revolution. (The Guardian)

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

The nation's 11-year-olds are to take up their wooden spoons, tie on their aprons and come to the rescue of the English dinner table, too often these days heralded by the ping of the microwave tackling the ready meal.

Private schools increase fees to meet new charity rules. (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

More than one in ten schools admitted existing parents would be directly hit following the introduction of guidance tightening up the way charities operate. The admission is likely to spark resentment among parents, fuelling fears that some will pull children out of the fee-paying sector.

One in four parents would pay up to £50,000 extra to live close to a good state school. (The

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

One in four parents would pay up to £50,000 extra to buy a house near a good state school, research shows. The study reveals the lengths many parents will go to so that they can effectively 'buy' their children places in the best state schools. Competition for places at top schools is increasing as rising fees put private education beyond the means of many middle-class families.

Identical twins Lexus and Amber Conway could start school a year apart

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Parents of a pair of identical twins are concerned that their week-old daughters could be sent to school a year apart because they were born either side of the deadline for primary school applications.

Education: Britain's primary school class sizes among biggest in developed world. (The Guardian)

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Britain's primary schools have bigger class sizes than almost every other developed country, despite millions of pounds being spent on keeping pupil numbers down. UK state primaries have 24.5 pupils a class - the fourth largest of the 30 western countries which make up the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Cambridge condemns drive to force elite universities to accept state pupils. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Professor Alison Richard will say that universities are not "engines for promoting social justice" when she addresses the annual conference of Universities UK. Ministers have repeatedly called on elite universities to do more to attract students from poor backgrounds. However, Prof Richard said that the role of Cambridge was to educate and to lead research, not to "fix problems of social mobility".

Boy, 13, bullied after losing his hair is banned from wearing a baseball cap to school. (Daily Mail)

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Since losing his hair to a serious illness as a young child, Dale Platts and his baseball cap have become inseparable. The New York Yankees hat has not only helped the 13-year-old to cope with the cruel taunts of other children, but also protects his head and lashless eyes from the sun. But the schoolboy has now been ordered to remove the cap after his school decided it went against its uniform policy.

Children ‘are much less active than parents think’. (The Times)

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Children in England take less exercise than their parents may think, according to a study.

Dominic Handford's parents sell house so they can send him to top ballet school. (The Times)

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

An 11-year-old ballet dancer described as a real-life Billy Elliot took up the offer of a place at Britain’s oldest dance school yesterday after his parents sold their home to pay the £22,000 a year fees

Next year's SATs could be the last, says Schools Secretary Ed Balls. (Daily Mail)

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

SATs could be scrapped after next year, the Government suggested yesterday. Schools Secretary Ed Balls hinted he was ready for change in the wake of the summer marking fiasco, saying he wants to move to new assessments tailored to each child's ability.

Let pupils abandon spelling rules, says academic. (The Times)

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Children are being held back at school because they are forced to memorise irregular spellings and learn how to use the apostrophe, a leading academic will claim this week.

'Streetwise' British teenagers are ignorant about sex, survey reveals. (Observer)

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

The extent of teenagers' ignorance about sex and the truth about their sexual behaviour has been revealed in a new survey of almost 2,000 British teens. Almost half of those surveyed admitted having had sex without a condom. Two-thirds have had sex under the age of consent and one in six is unaware there is no cure for Aids.

Pupils suffer 'school phobia' as term starts. (The Observer)

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

For tens of thousands of English and Welsh schoolchildren the start of the new school term this month will be so traumatic that it will make them ill. Doctors and psychologists are seeing a 'significant' increase in the numbers of children suffering from a condition dubbed 'school phobia' and are bracing themselves as children are most at risk of developing the condition at the start of the school year.

More schools meeting basic GCSE targets, says Balls. (The Guardian)

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

The number of underachieving secondary schools in England has fallen by about a quarter, schools secretary Ed Balls said yesterday. In June, Balls identified 638 schools at which fewer than 30% of pupils achieved five good GCSE grades, defined as A* to C, including English and maths. Under his National Challenge programme, the schools were given until 2011 to improve. They are required to prepare a plan to meet the challenge, or face being merged or turned into an academy or trust school.

Children as young as nine turn their back on science careers

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

A poll of primary and secondary school children showed that although 38 per cent are inspired by science just 6 per cent wanted to become a scientist, compared to 20 per cent who wanted to be a footballer.

Education: Black Caribbean children held back by institutional racism in schools, says study. (The Guardian)

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Black Caribbean pupils are being subjected to institutional racism in English schools which can dramatically undermine their chances of academic success, according to a new study.

Glitches hold up study grants for pupils. (The Guardian)

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Ministers are facing another embarrassing software failure after it emerged that at least 150,000 pupils will not receive their study grants for the beginning of term because of widespread computer glitches at the new firm brought in to process applications.

Students facing average debt of up to £37,000. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

The size of projected debt levels will render a university education practically worthless for thousands of students, researchers said. According to the National Union of Students, the increase in lifetime earnings associated with some courses - such as arts and humanities - will be eclipsed by the size of repayments.

Schoolchildren addicted to caffeine because of energy drinks. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

The consumption of too many caffeine-packed drinks, such as Red Bull and Relentless, may leave some pupils suffering chest pains and headaches, it was claimed. They may also be fuelling bad behaviour in the classroom as teachers struggle to control hyperactive children

Depressed, stressed: teachers in crisis. (Observer)

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00 GMT

Increased pay, reduced workloads and long holidays - our schools are excellent places to work, insists the government. So why, amid reports of depression, breakdown and suicide, is teaching now rated one of the most stressful occupations in the country? And with 40 per cent of staff set to leave their jobs within five years, what can be done to ease the strain in Britain's education system

Mini-schools ease transition for Year 7 pupils. (The Times)

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Secondary schools should create separate “mini-schools” on their campuses to prevent newly arrived 11-year-olds from being overwhelmed and intimidated by the sheer size of the place.

Edexcel to re-mark national curriculum tests after removal of ETS. (The Times)

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00 GMT

The UK exam board Edexcel has stepped in to help with the re-marking of this year’s disputed national curriculum tests after the removal of ETS, the American firm responsible for this year’s marking fiasco. The move will put Edexcel in pole position to bid for the contract to run the national curriculum tests next year

Plastic surgery for bullied girls. (The Times)

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00 GMT

A plastic surgeon reshaped the nose of a 14-year-old girl who was being bullied and gave breast implants to other girls who had been teased about their appearance, it emerged yesterday. Douglas McGeorge, president of the British Association of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgery, said that many teenagers were victims of bullying and just wanted to look normal. “You think about children whose ears stick out. Children are very cruel and there’s a lot of stigma attached to appearance.”

University accused of social engineering in bid to recruit talented teenagers from deprived areas. (Observer)

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00 GMT

Students who apply to Oxford University will have the postcode of their family home taken into account during the selection process, The Observer can reveal.

Teachers fear hidden CCTV cameras in schools. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00 GMT

Almost a quarter of teachers are worried about "hidden" surveillance cameras in their schools, according to research published by a teachers union, the Association of Teachers and Lecturers.

Free school dinners for primary pupils in £1bn election pledge. (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

The £1 billion pledge – affecting almost four million children – will be included in the party’s manifesto. If implemented, it would save each family almost £300 per child every year.

Talk to your 11-year-old about sex. (The Times)

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Parents should talk to children as young as 11 about sex informally and often if they want them to delay sexual experiences and take fewer risks, according to the Government.

Talk to your 11-year-old about sex. (The Times)

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Parents should talk to children as young as 11 about sex informally and often if they want them to delay sexual experiences and take fewer risks, according to the Government.

Protect pre-school children from learning too much too young, authors say. (The Daily Telegraph)

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Pre-school children will be forced to learn too much, too young, under Government proposals for a 'toddlers curriculum', a group of leading children's authors and academics has claimed.

Teachers must act as father figures to white working class boys, says Ofsted

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Schools should provide father figures for white working-class boys who lack them at home, according to Ofsted inspectors.

Fifteen schools yesterday became the first state schools to ditch A-levels for a more traditional rival.

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

A total of 50 schools – including 15 state-maintained schools and colleges – will offer pupils the new Cambridge Pre-U, designed along the lines of the pre-coursework A-levels with tougher essay-style questions, when it becomes available for the first time in September.

The Schools Secretary outlines his vision for Government mired in troubles. (The Independent)

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

For a cabinet minister at the heart of a storm, Ed Balls is in a calmly expansive mood. The Schools Secretary has faced scathing headlines about exams that have gone unmarked or in some cases marked erratically.

Ed Balls refuses to intervene over marking debacle. (The Times)

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, faced a barrage of questions on the national tests marking fiasco in the House of Commons today but he refused to intervene or apologise for the delays to millions of results

Bright teenagers from state schools will be encourage to dump A-levels in favour of tough new courses. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

High-performing comprehensives, grammar schools and sixth-form colleges are preparing to offer the so-called Pre-U qualification amid growing fears that existing courses fail to prepare students for university.

A quarter of pupils who took English Sats exams are still waiting for the results a fortnight after they were due to be published. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Just 76.9 per cent of English tests taken by 14-year-olds have been graded despite a deadline of July 8, while the figure is 94.1 per cent for maths and 93.4 per cent for science.

Cambridge exam chief warns interference by ministers is undermining qualifications. (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

The government has gained unprecedented control of the exams system, interfered in the minutiae of qualifications and contributed to a loss of public confidence in standards, according to the head of Cambridge University's exam board, Greg Watson.

Eighty per cent of designs for new schools proposed under a flagship Government building scheme are not up to standard, an audit has found. (the Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

The detailed review by the Government's own architecture watchdog found that eight in 10 designs for secondary schools proposed under the £35bn Building Schools for the Future initiative are 'mediocre' or 'not yet good enough'.

Almost eight in ten young people in Britain do not feel safe walking the streets, a survey has found. (the Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

A poll of 1,000 16 to 24 year olds found they are increasingly affected by violent crime, depression, stress and drugs.

Summer to arrive in time for school holidays. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

After weeks of cool and showery weather, summer is finally set to arrive in Britain – just in time for the start of the school holidays.

Shambolic marking of papers may lead to 300,000 appeals or even the scrapping of all results. (The Sunday Times)

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

As many as one in four pupils could have their test scores reviewed because of the fiasco engulfing the exam system, head teachers have warned.

A THIRD of primary school kids admitted theft, arson, carrying a weapon, boozing, smoking or other “problem” behaviour in a shocking poll published yesterday. (The Sun)

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Nine per cent of ten-year-olds surveyed had broken the law in the last six months alone. And more than one in seven eight-year-olds had been involved in anti-social behaviour, according to the Home Office poll of 6,000 children.

Pushy parents to be held back by barriers at junior football to stop them abusing referees . (Daily Mail)

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Every proud father may secretly hope his child will play for England one day. But some over-zealous parents take their support a bit too far. Now pushy mums and dads will be held back by barriers at junior football to stop them abusing referees.

Parents to be 'responsible' for child's sentence. (The Times)

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Parents could be made legally responsible for ensuring their children complete sentences handed down for youth offending, under government plans published today to tackle criminal behaviour by youngsters.

Schools closed as thousands strike over pay. (The Times)

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

The biggest bout of industrial unrest for years has seen tens of thousands of council workers and civil servants go on strike in bitter disputes over pay.

Youth crime: Parents face fines and prison in government plan to reinforce young offenders' sentences. (The Guardian)

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Parents of child offenders who fail to complete their sentence will in future face fines, compulsory parenting orders and possibly even prison under proposals outlined by the government yesterday.

Jack Straw wants shoplifters to pay for stolen Mars Bars . (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Under the Youth Crime Action Plan, 16 and 17-year-olds will face new Youth Conditional Cautions. The cautions will mean they will either have to apologise and make amends to their victims, or go before the courts.

Computer generation losing out on intellectual development. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Spending too much time on computers rather than working with their hands is threatening children's neurological and intellectual development, a report has found.

Teachers to get powers to search pupils for drugs and alcohol. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

School staff will also be able to check pupils for cigarettes and stolen property, as well as alcohol and drugs - and parents will be informed of the results in mobile phone text messages and emails.

Teachers to be given power to search for drugs, alcohol and cigarettes. (The Times)

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Teachers will be allowed by law to search children for drugs, alcohol and cigarettes in school under proposals today which will be accepted by the Schools Secretary.

Four in ten new teachers quit over red tape and unruly pupils. (The Daily Mail)

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Four in ten new teachers are driven out of the profession within two years, research suggests.

Mother sues over tale of 'drunken party' lifted from Bebo. (The Independent)

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

It read like the teenage party from hell: a riot of sex and wanton damage fuelled by under-age drinking that only ended when the police arrived. According to media reports, the mother of the teenage hostess was so angry with her daughter that she punched her.

Youngsters know their Daleks but can’t tell a bee from a wasp. (The Times)

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Television-obsessed children are far more likely to recognise a Dalek than a magpie, research shows

Children should learn to speak before they learn to read says review. (The Times)

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

The heavy emphasis on teaching children to read and write in nursery and reception classes is preventing teachers from focusing on more important aspects of early childhood development, such as speaking and listening skills, the author of a major government report has warned.

Operation Goodnight in Redruth: the holiday town where teenagers must be indoors by 9pm. (The Times)

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

You see them on street corners in every town: groups of furtive teenagers looking for company but often finding trouble. Fairly or not, they usually get the blame for vandalism, assaults and drunken midnight shouts that shatter the peace in otherwise deserted suburban streets.

Police bring in evening curfew to keep town's under-16s off streets. (The Guardian)

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

A pioneering curfew aiming at keeping children under 16 off the streets at night is being launched in a Cornish town. Police officers and local authority officials, some wearing head cameras to gather evidence, will patrol an area of Redruth and stop all youngsters of 15 and under who are out unsupervised after 9pm, and all under-10s out after 8pm.

School children to be given lessons in money management. (Daily Mail)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

School children will be taught about money in an attempt to halt the spread of financial incompetence, the Government will say today.

Children as young as three should be reported for 'racism', Government-funded group claims. (Daily Mail)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Toddlers should be taught about racism and singled out for criticism if they have racist attitudes, a Government-funded advisory group said yesterday.

A new drive to increase the appreciation of Shakespeare in a new generation of students will be unveiled by the Government today. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Pupils ranging from primary to secondary school age will be targeted by a package being launched by Schools Minister Jim Knight aimed at increasing study of the Bard.

Teachers are being turned into "social workers and surrogate parents" under Labour, according to the headteacher of the country's most popular school. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

A leading headmaster who is leaving one of the most popular schools in the state system to work in the private sector has accused the Government of turning teachers into "social workers and surrogate parents".

Laura Robson, Wimbledon winner returns to homework and chores

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Britian's teenage Wimbledon winner was the belle of the Champions Ball last night – but today she is returning to a more familiar life mixing tennis practice with studying for her GCSEs and household chores

Price of healthier school meals too high for many families. (The Times)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

School meals will soar in price or vanish without a significant injection of government funds, parents are to be told today. Sandra Russell, chairwoman of the Local Authority Caterers Association, told The Times that school meal provision was not sustainable because of the credit crunch, rising food prices and declining numbers of children eating school meals

'Complete shambles' as temps are drafted in to sort out school tests. (Observer)

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Temporary staff employed to help solve the crisis over the marking of Sats tests described yesterday how the system had descended into a 'Monty Pythonesque' shambles.

Gordon Brown and campaigners, including the actor Sir Ian McKellen, discussed measures to tackle homophobia in schools yesterday (Sataurday). (Observer)

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

The actor, a founder of the campaign group Stonewall, said: 'I am very pleased that he has listened to the concerns expressed by Stonewall, particularly around issues of homophobic bullying in schools, which still blights so many young people's lives.'

'Now 'nanny' Balls is trying to turn our teachers into parents' (Daily Mail)

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Schools are to be judged on how they improve children's 'wellbeing' by tackling obesity, drug abuse and teenage pregnancy.

Parent outrage as staff instruct pupil to replace absent teacher. (Daily Mail)

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

A school has sparked outrage among parents by letting one of its own pupils teach classes to help ease a staff shortage. A sixth-former has been running German lessons for first year pupils aged 11 and 12 for at least the past six weeks.

Boris Johnson: Fresh crisis as deputy denies sex and cash claims. (The Times)

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Boris Johnson was engulfed in a crisis last night when one of his most prominent appointees at City Hall was forced to deny allegations about inappropriate conduct and financial irregularities.

Ed Balls: Councils failing to tackle poor schools. (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Tens of thousands of children are languishing in poor schools as local councils refuse to take "drastic action", the Government has admitted. Many schools are being put in special measures - Ofsted's worst category - two years after authorities spotted problems but did nothing to intervene, it is claimed.

Schools leaving children 'globally illiterate' (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Young people are being left "globally illiterate" as school fails to prepare them for the wider world, according to a new study.

School governors told 'get insured' over danger of litigious parents. (The Times)

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

England's 300,000 school governors are being advised to take out insurance to protect themselves against litigious parents and the growing demands of government policy.

Don’t tell children it’s an exam, says Ed Balls. (The Times)

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Head teachers have expressed their astonishment after Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, suggested that the best way to prevent six and seven-year-olds from getting stressed about exams was simply not to tell them they were being tested.

Children threatened with ASBOs for playing football in street. (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

A group of children were told they face anti-social behaviour orders for playing football in the street

Education policy 'leaving children intellectually impoverished'. (the Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Education policy in England is leading to the "cultural and intellectual impoverishment" of a generation of school children, a leading headmistress has warned.

'Top United Nations' investigators are set to fly to Britain to find out just how badly we are treating our children.' (The People)

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Two officials are due here next month to check whether the way we deal with youngsters has improved in the past six years. But our own experts have already warned them MORE British children now live in poverty, MORE are locked up than anywhere else in Europe, MORE drink and have underage sex and MORE are obese. Sir Al Aynsley-Green, the Children's Commissioner for England, said: "We are the worst of the 21 richest countries in the world at children's wellbeing."

‘Too rigorous’ literacy goal for under-5s to be watered down. (The Times)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

A new curriculum for the under-5s, which would require four and five-year-olds to write simple sentences and use punctuation, is to be watered down after experts described it as “overly ambitious for most children”.

Children not acquiring basic moral values as today's adults poor role models. (The Times)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Children are not acquiring basic moral values because today's generation of adults are such poor role models, a leading charity said yesterday.

The majority of adults in Britain struggle to answer questions fit for a seven-year-old, according to a report today. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Only one-in-20 were correctly able to answer 10 questions taken from primary school syllabuses. The study revealed that most adults were stumped by the correct spelling of a basic word - skilful - with only 23 per cent getting it right.

Stars like Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty 'eroding children's moral values' (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

The behaviour of pop stars such as Amy Winehouse, Pete Doherty and Lilly Allen is fuelling bad behaviour and promoting materialism, according to the report.

GCSE students get rewarded for writing obscene insults in their English exams (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Peter Buckroyd, chief examiner of English for the Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA), an examination board, said swear words should gain positive marks if the spelling and punctuation is correct.

Universities will be forced to give poor pupils preferential treatment

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

The plans, in a report commissioned by Gordon Brown, are likely to lead to applicants from state schools being asked for lower A-level results than those from private schools.

A mother said she is "horrified" that her twin sons will be separated and sent to different primary schools, nearly a mile apart. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Education officials said the three-year-old boys Connor and Brad Terry must attend separate schools due to a shortage of places.

Faith schools are being undermined by a Government-backed "witch hunt", according to a new report. (The Daily Telegraph)

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Ministers have exaggerated claims that Christian, Jewish and Muslim schools cherry-pick the best pupils to justify a series of "plots and threats" against the religious sector, it is claimed.

Facebook and Bebo should be used in the classroom to boost pupils' literacy skills, according to a Government-backed report. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

The popularity of social networking websites should be exploited by teachers to develop children's ability to communicate and improve their technological skills, it was claimed.

Children are being "left ignorant of nature" because field trips are being cut due to fears of health and safety litigation, a new report warns. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

More than 2,200 children are being suspended from school every day as headteachers mete out "short, sharp shocks" to tackle bad behaviour. Pupils were sent home 425,600 times from English schools last year - compared to 344,510 just four years earlier.

Lack of field trips 'leave children ignorant of nature'. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Children are being "left ignorant of nature" because field trips are being cut due to fears of health and safety litigation, a new report warns. The report, by Greg Barker, the shadow environment minister, reveals 92 per cent of volunteer youth leaders think Britain's "risk averse" culture is preventing children from going on educational wildlife and nature trips.

A test which was designed to measure the mental toughness of athletes could be introduced in schools, in the hope of improving poor GCSE exam results. (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

The attitude test is comprised of 48 questions which gauge ability to cope under pressure, resilience, confidence and self-control

The degree system in British universities is "rotten" with grades based on "arbitrary and unreliable" measures, according to the university watchdog. (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Peter Williams, chief executive of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), which is responsible for standards in higher education, also warned that the influx of students from overseas was pushing standards down because they expected their fees would automatically buy them a degree.

Low-performing schools to get £1m each to lift standards. (The Guardian)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

The schools secretary, Ed Balls, yesterday promised £1m for every struggling secondary modern as he launched a concerted attack on selective education and the 164 remaining grammar schools, saying they were consigning children to failure from the age of 11.

Rise in teen abortions prompts call for reform of sex education. (The Times)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Half of pregnancies among girls under 18 are now ending in abortions although the number of pregnancies is falling, an analysis by The Times has shown.

Grammar schools condemn thousands to failure, says Ed Balls. (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, launched his most brutal attack yet on grammar schools, accusing them of condemning thousands of pupils to educational failure.

Average teenager's iPod has 800 illegal music tracks. (The Guardian)

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Teenagers and students have an average of more than 800 illegally copied songs each on their digital music players, the largest academic survey of young people's music ownership has found.

Some 60,000 of the highest achieving school leavers a year are failing to reach university, according to research. (The Guardian)

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Educational records of every child who started secondary school in 1997 - the year Labour came to power - show there are 60,000 who scored in the top 20% in tests at 11, 14 or 16 but still dropped out of education. The lost pupils are significantly more likely to be from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Compulsory lessons urged on forced marriage and 'honour' violence. (The Guardian)

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Lessons about "honour"-based violence and forced marriage should be an explicit statutory requirement in British schools and become a compulsory part of the sex and relationships curriculum, MPs said today.

Telephone manners are dying out as children abandon the traditional greeting of "Hello". (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

A third of young people aged 18 to 24 say they answer their mobile phones with greetings such as "hi", "yo" or "what's up".

Traditional school uniforms and house systems should be introduced to drive up education standards, according to Ofsted. (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Failing schools can make "substantial" improvements by demanding pupils are well turned out, said the education watchdog.

Good schools will be able to expand to admit more pupils under new Government plans. (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

They will be allowed to take additional children at the start of the year - even if they are officially full, ministers said.

Scouts refuse to allow boy who won't swear to Queen. (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

An eight-year-old boy has been told he cannot become a Cub Scout after refusing to swear allegiance to the Queen.

Schools are being thrown into turmoil by government threats to turn them into academies, headteachers have claimed. (The Guardian)

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

They reacted yesterday after the schools secretary Ed Balls announced that local authorities have 50 days to come up with individual plans to improve results, through tailored support for headteachers, by removing struggling schools' governing bodies, or partnering them with a good local school.

Up. Up. Up. Child poverty, pensioner poverty, inequality. (The Guardian)

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Gordon Brown's flagship anti-poverty campaign received a triple blow yesterday with news that a rise in both child and pensioner poverty had left Britain a more unequal country than when Labour came to power in 1997

Children are being failed by councils which are struggling to tackle levels of teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and obesity, according to the Government's watchdog. (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Children are being failed by councils which are struggling to tackle levels of teenage pregnancy, substance abuse and obesity, according to the Government's watchdog.

More parents getting loans to pay for private education. (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

More parents are taking out loans to pay for independent school fees as the credit crisis starts to bite, according to a report.

Lord Adonis plans all-through schools for children aged five to 18. (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Lord Adonis, the schools minister, called for a "significant" rise in the number of schools for pupils aged five to 18 – to stop pupil performance dipping between primary and secondary level

I will close up to 270 failing schools to improve standards, says minister. (The Guardian)

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Ed Balls, the schools secretary, will reveal today that up to 270 schools will be closed in the next three years for underperformance and replaced with academies and a new generation of trust schools.

Free swimming for all by 2012 in £130m campaign for a healthier Britain. (The Times)

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Free swimming for all will be promised today in a sports shake-up aimed at making Britain healthier and more successful in international competitions. Charges at 1,600 municipal pools are to be scrapped – initially for 20 million over-60s and under-16s.

Ed Balls: Giving drink to young may be banned. (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Under a law from 1933, adults are allowed to give children as young as five a drink at home. However, as the Government launched its Youth Alcohol Action Plan yesterday to reduce the growing number of teenagers who are drinking at dangerous levels, ministers hinted that the legislation could be changed. Asked if the age could be raised following a review into safe drinking levels for children, Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said: "Nothing is ruled out."

Education 'severely compromised' by testing

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Primary school children's education is being "severely compromised" by the emphasis on national tests, according to a leading academic.

Dumbing down maths tests 'threat to economy' (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

GCSEs are "considerably" easier than tests sat 50 years ago as questions are simplified to make them more relevant to modern teenagers, it said.

Pupils from state schools are missing out on £90,000 salaries as teachers refuse to push them towards elite universities, according to a new study. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Half of comprehensive school students believe there is no difference in earning potential associated with a degree from a top university compared with a former polytechnic, it was disclosed.

Parents to get power to call in school inspectors. (The Times)

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Parents will be able to instigate an Ofsted inspection of their child’s school if they feel that teachers are coasting or failing to stretch pupils to their full potential, under an important reform of the school inspection system.

Now cash-strapped families abandon their pets - because they can't afford to care for them (Daily Mail)

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Home-owners are abandoning their pets as they struggle to cope with the rising cost of living.

Universities in backlash against 'soft' subjects now accounting for one in three of all A-levels. (Daily Mail)

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Universities are warning that students who take too many 'soft' A-levels run the risk of rejection.

The Department of Health is launching the first stage of a £10m drive to tackle binge drinking with a TV campaign about the units of alcohol in different drinks. (The Guardian)

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Different TV ads in the campaign, which break tonight, will target male and female drinkers.

Report backs expansion of cadet corps in state schools. (The Guardian)

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00 GMT

State school pupils will be encouraged to sign up for military training with the cadet corps under a review of the armed forces which is published today.

Childhood inquiry looks at education policies · Professor points to 'privatisation' effect. (The Guardian)

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00 GMT

An inquiry ordered by the schools secretary, Ed Balls, into the impact of the commercial world on children is to investigate the government's own policies of encouraging schools to link up to businesses and setting up sponsored academies.

School dinners to go up as food prices increase. (Observer)

Sun, 18 May 2008 00:00 GMT

School dinners face an increase in price because of the rising cost of food, tough new nutritional standards and a decline in the number of pupils opting for the meals. Figures from the School Food Trust reveal that 43 per cent of English councils made a loss on their school meals last year.

GCSE and A-level students should not always expect to receive the correct marks in tests, according to the new examinations watchdog. (The Daily Telegraph)

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Kathleen Tattersall, the chairman of Ofqual, said the public had a "simplistic" expectation that the marking system should be "perfect".

The new exams watchdog is to conduct a "health check" of all school tests and exams amid concerns that standards are not being met. (The Guardian)

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00 GMT

The Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator will be formally launched today with a promise to investigate the "reliability" of exams

Focus on Fostering (The Independent)

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Foster Care Fortnight

One in eight children aged 11 to 16 has been the victim of a “hot product” theft, including mobile phones and MP3 players, in the past three years, according to a study published today. (The Times)

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00 GMT

The study showed that one in three of victims was listening to music on headphones, talking, texting or playing on a games console when the property was snatched.

Ofsted to keep closer watch on classrooms. (The Guardian)

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Ofsted is to send more inspectors into lessons to observe teachers at work, following criticisms that its reports are focusing too much on schools' test results and not enough on the culture in the classroom.

Schools are breaking the law with CCTV cameras, experts have warned. (The Daily Telegraph)

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00 GMT

CameraWatch, a national advisory group, found none of the 60 schools it surveyed met strict guidelines on the use of CCTV footage.

Secondary school pupils should be allowed to opt out of religious education classes and assemblies, according to a group of MPs. (The Daily Telegraph)

Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00 GMT

The cross-party joint committee on human rights has said in a report that mature and intelligent children should be able to choose not to join in with religious activity at school.

The "quick-fix culture" is damaging children's ability to master sport and music, a leading headmaster warned yesterday. (Daily Mail)

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Jonathan Milton of Westminster Abbey Choir School said youngsters increasingly lacked the patience to acquire skills such as choral singing.

A generation of young Britons are growing up in "shameless" families where parents lack the basic skills to raise their children, the Conservatives will warn today. (The Daily Telegraph)

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Chris Grayling, the shadow work and pensions secretary, will claim that in some parts of the country there is no culture of parents instilling discipline and respect in their offspring.

MPs warn that national Sats tests distort education. (The Guardian)

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00 GMT

National Sats tests have distorted the education of millions of children, depressing their chances of going to university or getting a job, and should be radically reformed, MPs say.

Abolish Sats tests for pupils, urge MPs (The Daily Telegraph)

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Tests taken by more than a million pupils every year should be scrapped because they "distort" their education, MPs say today.

Boris bans booze on buses, trams and Tube in first attack on ASBO culture (Daily Mail)

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Alcohol will be banned on London's buses and Tubes from next month in the first move by new mayor Boris Johnson to purge the capital's transport network of drunken louts.

Learner drivers face new testing hazards (The Times)

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Driving instructors will gain powers to force learners to have extra lessons before taking their tests, under the biggest reform of the driver education system since the driving test was introduced in 1935.

Schools should post children’s progress reports online to help overcome a decline in the popularity of the traditional parents’ evening, the Schools Secretary has said. (The Daily Telegraph)

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Ed Balls claimed most parents now prefer to have informal discussions with teachers in the playground or check online for their child’s results and record of attendance.

Parents of unruly teenagers will be given advice on how to deal with them by text message as part of a £44 million Government project. (The Daily Telegraph)

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Mothers and fathers who are struggling to control their children will also be offered support through websites and telephone hotlines.

Schoolchildren should be able to question teachers applying for jobs, according to new official guidance. (The Daily Telegraph)

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00 GMT

The pupils could question candidates, help write job descriptions and provide feedback to head teachers and governors.

The head of Britain's biggest independent schools' organisation has launched an extraordinary attack on the "very poor" quality of state education. (The Daily Telegraph)

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00 GMT

Chris Parry, the new chief executive of the Independent Schools Council (ISC), said standards were "offensive" to parents who pay their taxes and forced hundreds of thousands to go private.

Binge drinking caused teen's liver failure at 14

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT

A teenager has told how her binge drinking caused her liver to fail at the age of 14. Natasha Farnham, who is now 18, is believed to be the youngest person in Britain to be diagnosed with alcohol-related liver failure, claims the charity British Liver Failure. (The Daily Telegraph)

State schools to offer A-level alternative

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT

Students in state schools will be able to drop A-levels in favour of more demanding qualifications under plans unveiled on Monday. (The Daily Telegraph)

Hundreds of schools sold to developers

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT

Hundreds of primary schools have been sold off to housing developers in the past 10 years as local councils cash in on rising land prices. (The Daily Telegraph)

Geography GCSE accepts poems and podcasts

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT

Pupils will be able to improve GCSE grades by drawing cartoons, writing poems or submitting videos and podcasts, it was revealed yesterday. (The Daily Telegraph)

The price of fame

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT

Turning your child into a star will cost £70,000 and more than double the amount of becoming a doctor

University aspiration gap stays stubbornly wide, survey shows

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00 GMT

(The Guardian) A multimillion-pound drive to encourage students from the poorest backgrounds to go to university has failed to narrow the gap between the numbers of poorest and richest teenagers wanting to get a degree, new figures show.

choices_in_learning_and_play

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00 GMT

How could you be involved in setting up or running after-school clubs?

choices_in_learning_and_play

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00 GMT

What are the best and worst things about playgrounds or youth clubs where you live?

choices_in_learning_and_play

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00 GMT

What would your perfect school be like?

choices_in_learning_and_play

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00 GMT

What kind of decisions do you make at school?

End Child Poverty 'Keep the promise' event

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Sir Al to speak at the Impetus Youth Groups Showcase Event

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Sir Al to speak about 'Valuing children and young people in life' at the Fourth Hansard Lecture

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Sir Al to speak at the Westminster Forum Event 'Respect Outside the School Gates'

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Sri Al to spend a day with Southwark Police Youth Involvment Team

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

UK Children's Commissioners' Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

The Children's Commissioners from the four nations of the United Kingdom submit their report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The Audit and Risk Committee constitution

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

The Children's Commissioner is advised by an Audit and Risk Committee of four members, whose remit includes advising on all risks, risk management issues, and providing scrutiny over the financial affairs of the office. The members of the Audit and Risk Committee are as follows: Terry Price (Chair); Shujahat Aslam; Christine Barwell; Mark Elridge.

11 MILLION Children Matter no. 5 PART 1

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Find out how you've been helping 11 MILLION change lives this year in part 1 of our summer 2008 publication for children and young people.

11 MILLION Children Matter no. 5 PART 2

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00 GMT

Find out how you can help 11 MILLION change lives next year in part 2 of our summer 2008 publication for children and young people.

11 MILLION Annual Report 2007/08

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00 GMT

Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2008 from the Children's Commissioner for England.

Strengthening Children's Trusts: legislative options

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00 GMT

11 MILLION responds to the Government’s proposals to strengthen Children’s Trusts

Annual Review 07/08

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00 GMT

Read about some of 11 MILLION's key achievements over the last year in our Annual Review 07/08.

Fun and Freedom - children's views on play

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00 GMT

Children and young people say that freedom, friendship and active outdoor fun are the vital elements of play in this report published by the Children’s Commissioner for England and Play England. The report, ‘Fun and Freedom’, examines how local authorities have sought children and young people’s views about play. ‘Fun and Freedom’ has been submitted as evidence to the Government’s ‘Fair Play’ consultation on a play strategy for England.

Quarterly Report 6: Sept 08: Takeover Day

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00 GMT

Quarterly Report no. 6, published in Sept 08, features information about 11 MILLION Takeover Day 2008, plus an update on the Gun and Knife Crime project.