Ofsted ‘concerned’ over absences and ‘flexi-schooling’

According to the chief inspector of England’s school regulator Ofsted, “alarming” levels of children not attending school have become a “stubborn and damaging issue”.

Sir Martin Oliver said he was also concerned about the rise in “flexi-schooling”, where parents teach their children at home for part of the week.

It is unclear how many children are taught this way.

The Department for Education (DfE) said the government was placing education “at the forefront of national life”.

Ofsted’s annual report said attendance issues have “deepened” since the pandemic.

Citing the latest DfE figures, it said around 158,000 children skipped at least half their classes in the autumn and spring terms of last academic year.

At Knowsley, more than a quarter of pupils were classified as chronically absent – ​​meaning they missed 10%, or more, of the school calendar.

Blackpool, Bradford, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Bristol, Torbay and Plymouth are second only to Knowsley with the highest rates of persistent absence – with between 23% and 25% of pupils missing significant periods of school.

The Ofsted report also said that education “has become fragmented and fragmented for too many children”.

It found that “a very small number of schools” allowed children to flexi-school. However, because it is often recorded as an authorized absence, it is unclear how many students are in this situation.

The report said that “a hybrid form of education”, where children learn through a mix of online and in-person lessons, is “increasingly used” for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), or behavioral or health needs. “It is being done. ,

It is believed that approximately 34,000 children are educated according to a part-time timetable, and 92,000 children are educated at home.

The report said that many home-educated children received a good education, but they were still part of a significant number who “have been excluded from more conservative patterns of education”.

Sir Martin said that part-time schooling could be an effective temporary measure to help get children back into school, but that this blended style of education “is no excuse for avoiding full-time schooling throughout the school years”. .

Ofsted said this made it more difficult for children to receive a relevant education.

In a briefing with journalists, Sir Martin admitted that having parents working from home since the pandemic had not helped attendances – particularly on Fridays, an issue which was Flagged by England’s Children’s Commissioner last year,

Ofsted also warned that shortages of skilled early years staff remain a challenge, as new figures show teacher recruitment targets in England have been missed for the fourth year in a row.

Concluding Ofsted’s annual report, which focused on a range of issues including attendance, Sir Martin said: “There are no silver bullets (and there will never be enough silver), but many problems can be mitigated by incorporating It is – thinking from above and working in partnership.

A DfE spokesperson said: “As the report highlights, education is fundamental to the future success of this country – which is why we are once again putting it at the forefront of national life.”

He said the government was working with Ofsted to introduce school report cards, which would “give parents a more complete picture of school performance” and help improve standards.

Meanwhile, a report from Sport England suggests the pandemic has had a “fundamental impact” on exercise habits in children.

It found that the percentage of Year 7 pupils who could swim 25 meters without help is 70% in the latest figures, down from 77% six years ago.

This shows that girls are less likely to be active than boys, as are black and Asian children and those from the least affluent backgrounds.

Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of Sport England, said: “The data shows that, for children whose early years were affected by lockdown and a lack of activity, attitudes towards sport and physical activity are clearly negative.”