Transforming Society ~ 10 months of a Labour government – what has been delivered for children?

During the 2024 general election, I outlined (here) how the new government could prioritise children’s wellbeing in its first 10 weeks, 10 months and 10 years. Now, as we approach the 10-month mark under Labour, it’s time to reflect on what has been achieved and where more work is needed.

Encouragingly, this government has demonstrated a strong commitment to investing in the next generation, even amid other pressing challenges:

• The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, included in the government’s first King’s Speech, which includes plans for primary school breakfast clubs and stronger safeguarding measures.
• The King’s Speech also pledged to ban single-use vapes and prevent landlords from discriminating against tenants with children.
• The Child Health Action Plan, which aims to reduce paediatric waiting times, enhance mental health support, curb junk food advertising and introduce supervised tooth brushing in schools.
• Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has launched a new National Youth Strategy. As a member of the strategy’s Expert Advisory Group, I’m excited to help ensure young people’s voices shape the policies that affect them.

A good start, but more to do

While this is a strong start, there are still areas requiring urgent attention – and I have some ideas which can help.

Last month, the Raising the Nation Play Commission, which I founded and chair in partnership with the Centre for Young Lives, published its interim report on the state of children’s play in the UK. The Play Commission was inspired by my book, Raising the Nation: How to Build a Better Future for Our Children. The book had started all the right conversations, but I wanted to turn those conversations into action.

Our interim findings highlighted a worrying decline in play opportunities, calling for a National Play Strategy for England – something Scotland and Wales already have. We also recommended restoring 10 extra minutes of school playtime per day, integrating play opportunities into Ofsted criteria, and introducing a ‘Play Sufficiency Duty’ to ensure councils provide adequate local play spaces. It’s time to end the scandal of two million children under nine living more than a 10-minute walk from a playground.

A possible future

Westminster really does care about this topic. I know. Squeezed into a packed room in Parliament, I saw for myself the attention play can receive in a discussion about how we can all achieve more.  Our Commission’s job is to build on such care, to help create sustainable momentum and ensure transformational change to children’s wellbeing happens, through more opportunities to play.

We will publish our final report, with further recommendations, on the second International Day of Play on 11 June. There is clear momentum for change, and we hope the government will work with us to implement our proposals.

I also recently returned from a week exploring the state of children’s wellbeing in Denmark and Finland. I met with politicians, head teachers, teachers, doctors, planners, architects, business, community and charity leaders and LOTS of children.  I visited schools, hospitals, ministries, city halls, parks, kindergartens, businesses and public spaces.  I saw programmes using play to support a huge variety of skills and child development.  For example, in Denmark I visited Billund, a city whose collective vision is to be the ‘Capital of Children’ and in Finland saw the radical actions its government is leading to ensure their education system is fit for the needs of a 21^st century society – despite the fact that their existing system has previously topped the PISA table for best education system in the world.  I saw examples from across a wide and holistic scope: from playful learning school projects to decentralised education decision-making, from free meals provided to children in parks during summer holidays to kindergarten buses rather than buildings; and from witnessing pedagogically trained staff teaching five year olds to chop wood and make fires in public playgrounds across Copenhagen to indoor ‘outdoor’ play facilities inside library reading rooms for when the weather is just too extreme.  They were all seeding ‘what if?’ thoughts in my mind to bring back to the UK.  I’m digesting what further the UK government can learn from the Nordic experiences and priorities across the remainder of its term in office- to deepen its impact in ensuring every child has a thriving childhood, and that society enables every child to have a better chance of becoming the person they have the potential to be.

Play is fundamental to children’s development, mental health and learning. Addressing these gaps now will pay long-term dividends, creating a future where the next generation is healthier, happier and better equipped to thrive. If we take the right measures now, in 10 years we will be able to look back on our progress, and our children and our country will reap the benefits.

Paul Lindley OBE is an award-winning British entrepreneur, social campaigner and best-selling author.

Raising the Nation by Paul Lindley is available on the Bristol University Press website. Order here for £14.99.

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Image: Margaret Weir via Unsplash