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Children’s Commissioner’s Big Ambitions for Education: Driving Real Change for North East Schools and Children

On 11 November, we welcomed Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, to our roundtable event in Newcastle. 

An event exclusively for Partner Schools, we delved into The Big Ambition for Education—a campaign launched by the Children’s Commissioner to hear directly from children, young people, and parents across the country— and explored the challenges facing North East schools. 

While her vision aligns closely with the Schools North East ‘Manifesto for North East Education’, she also made it clear that incremental change won’t be enough. As she emphasised, “tinkering” with the system is no longer sufficient—only bold, structural reform can bring about the changes needed to support our children and young people, which is exactly what we, as a network of all 1,150 schools in the region, advocate for.  

As a region that’s long struggled with educational inequality, the North East needs ambitious solutions, not just minor funding boosts here and there. With the support of our brilliant Partner Schools, the  roundtable highlighted key issues and recommendations, offering a blueprint for Schools North East’s continued lobbying efforts.

Here’s a brief exploration of what was discussed.

Education reform will only be achieved by collective effort

Dame Rachel’s call for transformation is rooted in both economic and moral arguments. While improved education supports long-term economic growth, she stressed that education reform is ultimately about providing a safe, inclusive environment where our children and young people can thrive. 

Schools have become a haven for many children, particularly those dealing with challenges at home, but they cannot shoulder the responsibility alone. This vision requires a collective approach across the education, health, and social care sectors.

This, again, aligns with our Manifesto for North East Education, which advocates for a holistic support system that brings together services in local, joint commissioning. 

Reform should empower schools to take an active role in this transformation rather than being passive recipients of change. Our region’s schools know what their communities need, and with collaborative reform, they can drive meaningful change.

School leaders have no capacity to manage complex EHCPs

One of the major barriers identified is the time-consuming, overly bureaucratic process surrounding Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs). School leaders shared that they simply do not have the capacity to manage the workload required, forcing them to turn to local authorities, charities, and even hire additional practitioners to get children the support they need. 

Dame Rachel called this a “broken system,” echoing our Manifesto’s call for streamlined and adequately funded SEND processes.

EHCPs are not the only answer—many children need support that doesn’t require the EHCP label. But without trained staff and resources, schools are left managing complex needs with limited capacity. Addressing the recruitment and retention crisis is critical to achieving Dame Rachel’s vision, as the need for skilled professionals in education, mental health, and social care continues to grow.

Building capacity and collaboration to end siloed working

The Children’s Commissioner’s vision includes clear, shared responsibilities and data sharing across sectors, addressing the systemic siloing that often prevents the positive, long-lasting change we need to see. 

Schools in our region feel the weight of these gaps daily, especially when health needs go unmet, impacting students’ ability to engage and succeed academically. Our manifesto calls for defined collaboration between health, social care, and education, to create a cohesive network of support around each child.

Dame Rachel highlighted that many needs are non-educational but land on schools due to a lack of accessible health or social care options, which is creating more pressure for our education staff and impacting successful outcomes The solution to this  requires not just collaboration but also a redesign of accountability structures that currently hinder inclusivity in schools. Our manifesto echoes this by calling for an accountability system that prioritises what matters most—supporting every child’s success.

Addressing rising home education and vulnerable children

A growing concern is the rising number of parents choosing home education. With this shift comes the risk that vulnerable children could fall out of the system altogether, exposed to risks like criminality and exploitation. Schools feel the urgency of keeping children within the supportive structure of school, particularly in communities where educational disadvantage is high. 

Schools North East supports Dame Rachel’s call for a ‘Children Not in School’ register, which would ensure no child goes “off the radar.” Tracking these children is essential for safeguarding, especially as schools are often the first point of contact for families in need.

Respecting the teaching profession and avoiding the “New Normal”

The roundtable also touched on the recruitment and retention challenges facing the sector. Teachers and support staff are increasingly burdened with non-teaching responsibilities, taking on roles that stretch beyond their primary mission as educators. School leaders voiced a need for teaching to remain a respected profession, one that allows teachers to focus on learning and well-being rather than becoming de facto social workers.

At Schools North East, we share this concern. Teachers play a transformative role in improving outcomes for children, but only if they can focus on education. As Dame Rachel emphasised, achieving a positive vision for education starts with the right staff, equipped and supported to make a difference. Our Manifesto calls for dedicated mental health and support services within schools, ensuring that teachers are not the only source of support for students’ broader needs.

A time for bold reform, not just incremental steps

As Dame Rachel pointed out, we are in the early days of a new government, with opportunities to get the voices of North East schools heard through consultations and reviews. While the rhetoric from the government is positive, there is still a pressing need to move from words to urgent action. Schools North East will continue to push for structural reforms that match the realities on the ground and address the unique challenges facing our region.

Together with the Children’s Commissioner’s ‘Big Ambitions for Education’, our ‘Manifesto for North East Education’ provides a roadmap for lasting change. Now is the time to take our ideas to the government, with a unified message: North East schools need bold, decisive action that empowers them to support every child effectively.

Moving Forward with a vision for real change

Dame Rachel’s vision and the Schools North East manifesto both emphasise that achieving an inclusive, supportive education system is about more than funding alone—it requires a systemic overhaul that values the safety, well-being, and potential of every child. With targeted resources, collaboration across sectors, and a reimagined accountability framework, we can make this vision a reality for North East schools and families.

At Schools North East, we will continue to champion these ambitions and lobby for the policies and funding our region needs. The children of the North East deserve an education system that supports them fully, and we are committed to making that a reality.

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