It was commissioned by the UK Coalition government in response to the manifesto commitments of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties in the 2010 general election.
The Coalition believed that children in the UK were "being pressured to grow up too quickly", and sought recommendations on how to address what they perceived as public concern about this.
On 6 December 2010 Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Education, appointed Reg Bailey CBE, Chief Executive of the Mothers’ Union (which had previously launched the "Bye Buy Childhood" report and campaign on the issue)[1] to lead the Review.
The consultation focussed on the views of parents rather than women's rights organisations or experts on children.
The lack of any reference to mandatory sex and relationships education or a strategy on ending violence against women and girls were seen as significant omissions.