The children’s commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza, has declared a “national emergency” regarding the state of childhood in the country, following the release of a comprehensive analysis of children’s wellbeing across multiple dimensions. Her report highlights stark regional disparities and widespread challenges facing young people, raising concerns about the future prospects of a generation growing up in difficult circumstances.
The study, which examines 162 measures related to health, education, safety, housing, and welfare, reveals that one-third of children are not ready for school by age five, and over half of pupils fail to achieve a good standard pass in English and maths GCSEs by the age of 16. Additionally, 12% of young people report feeling unsafe in their local neighborhoods, with at least one million children actively referred to mental health services in the past year.
De Souza’s analysis identifies significant geographic inequalities. Children in Blackpool are 27 times more likely to be missing from education compared to their peers in Lambeth, south London, and 46 times more likely to be excluded than children from Wiltshire. The findings also highlight variations in educational attainment, with GCSE pass rates ranging from 70% in Richmond upon Thames to just 31% in Knowsley.
Certain areas stand out as particularly challenging environments for children. Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire ranks as the hardest place to grow up, scoring lowest overall and exhibiting the highest rates of children feeling unsafe, combined with low developmental milestones by age five. Other difficult areas include Hounslow in west London and Bradford in West Yorkshire. Conversely, Cheshire East and the London boroughs of Merton and Richmond upon Thames are among the least challenging places for children, reflecting better outcomes in key indicators such as school attendance, housing stability, and access to services.
The report also highlights disparities in access to youth services and facilities. For example, outdoor play spaces vary dramatically, with North-east London’s Redbridge providing only six playgrounds per 10,000 young people compared to 61 in Rutland in the East Midlands. Youth service spending is similarly uneven; Camden invests £421 per teenager, whereas some local authorities reported no expenditure at all.
Mental health services present particular concerns. While some areas perform well overall, others face long waiting times for treatment. Hampshire, for instance, records a median waiting period of 118 days from referral to second contact. Even locations with low child poverty levels, such as Wokingham in Berkshire, have low youth service funding.
De Souza warns that children’s futures should not be left to a “childhood lottery,” as inequalities across regions and services risk leaving many young people behind. She emphasizes that the scope of the crisis requires urgent and systemic intervention to ensure every child has the support needed to thrive.
Experts stress that the current education system must evolve beyond focusing solely on exam results, advocating for broader learning approaches that cultivate critical thinking, creativity, ethical reasoning, and social skills. Innovative frameworks, such as the “human flourishing” model being trialed in select schools, aim to prepare children for the challenges of the modern world, including the impact of rapid technological change.
The commissioner’s findings have drawn warnings from figures involved in youth policy, who describe the risk of a “wasted generation” if urgent measures are not taken. As national attention is focused on other pressing political and economic issues, the report calls on policymakers to address the deep-seated inequalities affecting children’s wellbeing in order to secure a more prosperous and equitable future.