The Children’s Commissioner – Dame Rachel de Souza – has today published a response to The Big Ask consultation which surveyed children across the country. The Big Answer sets out the responses to the consultation and the Children’s Commissioner’s answer.

Dame de Souza will be joining Chartered College members to discuss the findings at an upcoming member event in October.

Dame Alison Peacock – CEO of the Chartered College of Teaching – responded to the report:

We know that the impact on education from the pandemic will be felt for a long time to come. What we see emerging from the Big Ask is something our members have been telling us: we need the support and resources to help our students.

Our own ‘Education in Times of Crisis’ reports highlight that teachers do not feel sufficiently confident in supporting children that are grieving or have experienced trauma. Added to this, over half of our members told us that their own wellbeing was negatively impacted.

If society is to successfully move forwards and ensure all children and young people have the strongest start to their lives then – as the Children’s Commissioner says – it needs the ‘greatest investment possible’. Our teachers must be supported to make the decisions that work best for them, their school and their communities.