School attendance drops, especially on Fridays, as home-working parents and “unorthodox schooling” gain traction, Ofsted reports.
Parents working remotely since the pandemic may be inadvertently fuelling a rise in school absences, Ofsted’s chief inspector Sir Martyn Oliver has warned. Friday attendance in schools has dropped significantly, reflecting what Oliver describes as a trend towards “unorthodox schooling,” including part-time timetables and hybrid education.
Part-time timetables—where students attend school for part of the week—have become more widespread, with an estimated 34,000 children across England affected. While the Department for Education advises that part-time schedules should only be used in exceptional cases, Ofsted’s findings suggest the practice is becoming increasingly common.
We don’t have a proper handle on how many children are part-time home-educated. This raises safeguarding issues and leaves us unsure about how prevalent flexi-schooling really is. The pandemic also disrupted early intervention for children with SEND, with delays in identifying and supporting needs. Oliver pointed out a 140% rise in requests for education, health, and care plans , putting additional strain on resources.
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