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The Children’s Commissioner has launched the biggest ever survey of schools and colleges in England, to capture up-to-date information about children’s experiences of school and to drive improvements in how they receive support.  

The School Survey marks the first time the Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has used her statutory powers to collect data from schools and colleges on such a large scale. Responses will be anonymised before publication. The aim is to better understand the role schools play in children’s development and to shape the Commissioner’s recommendations to government for a school system which is able to confidently meet the needs of every pupil.  

Just one in five children and young people who responded to the Children’s Commissioner’s Big Ambition survey said they felt adults running the country listened to their views. Since then, the Commissioner has been focused on bringing their voices to politicians and policy makers to make sure their experiences are reflected in the decisions made by those in charge. 

The compulsory School Survey seeks answers from school leaders on the pastoral care available to their pupils, in-class adaptations for specific groups of children with additional needs and the variety of specialist staff employed full time. For the first time the Commissioner also digs into emerging issues such as the prevalence of vaping or use of e-cigarettes, the details of individual mobile phone policies, and the provision of foodbanks.  

It also asks questions about characteristics or vulnerabilities of pupils and how schools support these, including children with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), young carers or those with a parent or carer in prison.  

Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said: “As a former teacher, headteacher and Trust leader, I know the influential role school plays in the lives of children and young people. It’s a place where they learn, play and develop essential life skills, so it’s imperative we understand the breadth of how schools are supporting children and young people, from help with uniforms or food provision to classroom adaptations and mental health care. 

“Teachers around the country are doing a fantastic job educating the next generation, and the responses to The Big Ask and The Big Ambition prove this: children want to be in school, and they love their teachers.  

“If we are to create a school system that is as ambitious for children as they are for themselves, we need a clear picture of the challenges facing school leaders, teachers and support staff.  

“The School Survey will, for the first time, provide us with irrefutable evidence of the many ways schools and teachers care for children outside of the classroom, ensuring that children’s real experiences of education are reflected in future policy decisions on major issues affecting families.” 

All mainstream, special schools, alternative providers, and colleges in England will be required to answer questions relating to support and resources offered to pupils and their families, the staff roles and responsibilities at school, and the characteristics and vulnerabilities of pupils.  

The survey will not be used as any kind of accountability measure for schools, nor will it be a ranking. Responses will be anonymised before publication in 2025.  

The School Survey builds on The Big Ambition, published in March, which engaged with a quarter of a million children and young people on the question of what the new government could do to improve children’s lives. In response, children told the Commissioner about the importance they placed on education. ‘School’ was the most common word in children’s responses, underscoring the importance of schools for children’s development. 

It aims to provide clear detail of the influence schools and teachers have in the lives of their pupils, learn from schools which display good practice and influence decision makers to put children’s views at the heart of policies.  

The School Survey includes questions related to:  

• Roles and responsibilities of school staff, including any specialist full-time staff employed such as educational psychologists, mental health counsellors, and social, youth or family workers;  
• Support and resources offered to pupils and their families, and the barriers experienced in providing support; 
• Support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) including how schools make adjustments for children or if they have been unable to meet the requirements of an EHCP;  
• Policing in schools; including interaction with local police for incidents relating to drugs, weapons or dangerous objects, violence, hate crimes, child sexual abuse or exploitation by adults, and child on child sexual abuse or harassment;  
• School policies and procedures, including the use of mobile phones;   
• Characteristics and vulnerabilities of pupils, including recognition of the needs of children who have caring responsibilities, parents or carers in prison or are living in unsuitable accommodation;   
• Prevalence of vapes or e-cigarettes among children; and 
• Types of on-site activities provides on the school site in addition to education, such as holiday or sports clubs, foodbanks, or vaccination clinics.