©Si Barber. Moral rights asserted   Dame Rachel de Souza DBE, born in 1968 in Scunthorpe, is the Children's Commissioner for England since 2021, promoting and protecting children's rights, especially the most vulnerable. A former teacher and headteacher, she turned failing schools outstanding and founded the Inspiration Trust, a multi-academy trust in East Anglia. Knighted Dame in 2014 for services to education, she has led landmark initiatives like The Big Ask and The Big Ambition surveys, amplifying children's voices on issues from mental health to online safety. Her work includes the Independent Family Review and reports on police strip-searching of children.