Survey of half a million children finds most are happy with their life

Of the more than half a million (557,077) children surveyed by the Children’s Commissioner’s office, 94 per cent of six- to eight-year-olds said they are happy with their life overall, falling to 71 per cent of nine-to-17-year-olds.

However, this finding follows research by The Children’s Society last month that revealed while children had coped relatively well with the pandemic, around a quarter of a million ten – to – 17-year-olds have struggled.

It finds that across all age groups, ethnicities and household incomes, the things they care about the most are their mental and physical health, things to do in their local area, school life and progress in education.

Of those who said they are unhappy, 70 per cent were unhappy with their mental health. Girls were twice as likely to say this than boys.

More than half of children from deprived areas said leaving school with a good education was one of their most important priorities.

On the subject of their local area, 93 per cent of six-to- eight-year-olds said they were happy with the places they can go to have fun.

Overall children in the most deprived neighbourhoods were most likely to say they were unhappy with the choice of things to do in their local area, compared to those in the least deprived neighbourhoods.

Children living in deprived areas or attending schools rated inadequate by Ofsted were also more likely to be unhappy with life at school compared to other children.

The findings are published in a new Children’s Commissioner report, ‘The Big Answer’, which makes a number of policy recommendations for children and families, they include:

• An expansion of the Family Hubs network to provide an access point in local communities to help families who need it.
• Introducing a package of measures to reduce child and family poverty, and in doing so support the educational attainment of the most disadvantaged children.
• A comprehensive catch-up package for schools, an urgent focus on improved services to children struggling with attendance and consequences of the pandemic, and voluntary time, after school, for catch-up and activities.
• A rapid expansion of mental health support teams using the voluntary and charitable sectors.

Dame Rachel de Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England said, ‘When I launched the Big Ask, I hoped for a big response, and we got a huge one.

'Given what they [children] have sacrificed during the Covid pandemic, not only did they deserve a Big Answer from me, which I think we have given but they have inspired me with how resilient, consistent, optimistic, and thoughtful they are, even those most vulnerable and from deprived backgrounds.

'Our response today which is full of recommendations to start improving their lives now, is not the end of the process. The voice of half million children gives me, and those in my team, a road map for how we continue to build a brighter future for childhood in England, not just in the aftermath of the pandemic but for the long term. I hope the Big Answer will be the foundation for a truly transformative period for a generation who are far from “lost” and need all of us to help build them the future they most certainly deserve.’

The Early Years Alliance said that while the report makes some 'important recommendations', reflections on the value of quality early years provision are 'distinctly lacking'.

Chief executive Neil Leitch said, 'We know that the first five years of a child's life play a pivotal role in their long-term life chances. Given this, we hope that the Children’s Commissioner will ensure a much greater focus on meeting the needs of children in the early years as she takes this important work forward.'

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said, 'This huge survey gives us some fantastic insight into what makes children tick. Too often children’s voices are missing from national debates about their wellbeing, but they must be heard - and I am listening.

'I’m encouraged to see most children and young people are happy, resilient and ambitious, but there are concerns too and we must address them. We know that the pandemic hit young people hard, which is why we have launched a tutoring revolution to make sure they catch up and bolstered mental health support in schools. As we drive to level up opportunities across the country, we will continue prioritising young people’s wellbeing alongside academic success.

'This survey shows the variety of concerns young people have – and the Government has taken action to address them. I look forward to working with the Children’s Commissioner in delivering for our children.'