Strategic authorities should be given a new legal duty to improve attendance under the government’s vision for devolution, the children’s commissioner has said. Rachel de Souza has warned services for children are in a “state of emergency” with a “postcode lottery” of childhood experiences in a report published today. Data reveals stark differences in attendance and exclusion rates, GCSE outcomes, access to post-16 provision and the rate of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) across England’s regions. Middlesborough, Hounslow and Bradford were the lowest ranked areas for childhood experience, while Cheshire East, Merton and Surrey were the highest ranked. But analysis found deprivation cannot be the only cause of differences – as some poorer areas scored more highly in certain measures. It comes as prime minister Andy Burnham wants to give local areas more powers over regional education pathways. Burnham’s ambition is for every area in England to either have or be in the process of establishing a strategic authority, which can be led by a major, by the close of 2027. This would see central government become “smaller and more strategic”, a cabinet statement in July stated. The report Childhood Lottery has called on ministers to ensure that their “once-in-a-generation rewiring of the state” to ensure that children “in every postcode can thrive”. Stark disparities The children’s commissioner brought together 162 measures of children’s lives, which was then used to give councils scores to help understand where it is hardest to grow up. The report found large regional divides. While just 0.03 per cent of children are missing from education in Lambeth, 8.3 per cent are missing in education in Blackpool. Figures show 31 per cent of Knowsley children get a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE compared with 70 per cent in Richmond upon Thames. Exclusion rates ranged from the highest in Blackpool, at 46 in every 10,000 pupils, to the lowest in Wiltshire, at 1 in every 10,000. De Souza said there is a “significant risk” that children will not be prioritised by regional authorities, “even as they take on greater responsibility and have a greater role in children’s lives”. New statutory duties The report recommends every strategic authority have a deputy mayor or designated lead for children. This individual would be held accountable by the “children’s test”, ensuring impact of policies, based on a shared outcomes framework across the country. This should include measures of attendance, the report said. Council officials should then publish each year whether outcomes have improved. If they are struggling to meet outcomes, they should have access to a national fund which can be used across children’s services, de Souza said. De Souza said ministers should introduce a new statutory duty for strategic authorities to collaborate to tackle attendance between health, education, social care and police. Her research found “substantial variation” in attendance rates, the number of children missing in education and the amount of support children receive around their education. It said tackling attendance cannot be up to schools alone, as it can be impacted by their health and home life. “There is therefore a role for strategic authorities in tackling these challenges, while being held to account by national government for their performance,” the report said. Schools and governing boards are ultimately responsible for ensuring they comply with laws around school attendance, according to DfE guidance. However it says schools should “work in tandem with the local authority” to improve attendance, for example through issuing a penalty notice or provide support through attendance support teams. Government ‘filled with energy’ Partners should also jointly commission services for children at the highest risk of missing education or persistent absence, the report suggested. The report also calls on government to align the geographical boundaries of Department for Education regions, NHS integrated care boards, policing, regional care cooperatives and fostering hubs at a strategic authority level to “streamline” services. Education secretary Lucy Powell said government is “filled with energy and drive to make sure no child is held back by where they grow up”. Powell said: “I’m determined we don’t just identify the challenges but act on them . That means targeting support where it’s needed most, including through our rollout of 1000 family hubs, and working with , not against, local leaders and communities.”