A Critical Look at Ofsted’s Recent Claims
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes upon hearing the latest misstep from Ofsted, which has provided yet another reason for parents like me to harbor resentment towards them. Recently, Sir Martyn Oliver, a former headteacher and now the chief inspector of the schools’ watchdog, claimed that parents who work from home (WFH) are largely responsible for the alarming rise in school absenteeism. He stated in The Sunday Times, “If my mum and dad were at home all day, would I want to get up and leave the house, knowing that they were both there? I would be tempted to perhaps say, ‘Can I not stay with you?’”
Sir Martyn continued by reflecting on his own upbringing, saying, “Seeing my dad [a potato merchant] go out early to work often hours before I had even got up, well, there’s an expectation: put your shoes on, put your school uniform on and go out the door and go to school, go to work.”
Well, Sir Martyn, I’ve been WFH for 15 years, and I can assure you that my three children—Charlie, 16, Eddie, 12, and Jemima, 10—are all out the door by 8 a.m. each day, even though I’m usually still in my pajamas. I strive to make sure that our mornings run like clockwork. My children know that once they leave, after I’ve coaxed them into their shoes, reminded them to brush their teeth, prepared their bags, and cleared away breakfast dishes, my working day begins. The notion that I would want to keep them from school, set a poor example, or make them think that attending school is optional is, quite frankly, absurd.
If anything, the fact that I work from home makes their education even more essential, as having them at home can be completely disruptive to my work schedule. As any parent balancing work responsibilities—especially those working from home—will agree, school holidays and half-term breaks can be a logistical nightmare.
There’s no denying that absence rates are at an all-time high; nearly a quarter of secondary school students are now considered “persistently absent,” meaning they miss at least one day of school every two weeks. This figure has surged from 13 percent in the 2018-19 academic year to 24 percent in 2022-23. However, in my opinion, parents who work from home are not the root cause of this problem.
- There are numerous factors contributing to this issue. For instance, I have firsthand experience as a parent of a child with special educational needs (SEND) at a mainstream primary school who was placed on half-days by the school, not by me.
- I’ve encountered numerous parents of SEND children who have had to relinquish their jobs due to school exclusions or the lack of suitable schools to accommodate their children.
- I’ve also witnessed the psychological impact of the pandemic on children. My now 16-year-old experienced significant disruption in his final year of primary school and his first year of secondary school, making it a wonder he hasn’t developed some form of mild PTSD.
- Additionally, as the daughter of a secondary school teacher, I have seen how incredibly overstretched educators are and the immense pressures they face. My late mother often expressed that Ofsted inspections were among the most stressful aspects of her job.
Let’s not forget the tragic suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023, which occurred shortly after her school in Berkshire was downgraded from “outstanding” to “inadequate.” A coroner stated that the inspection lacked “fairness, respect, and sensitivity.”
The rise in school absenteeism is also likely influenced by the anxiety epidemic triggered by smartphones and social media. Furthermore, the current educational system still operates on a dated 1950s model, which assumes that women would stay at home, dropping their children off at 9 a.m. and picking them up at 3 p.m. daily. While the working world has evolved, schools have not kept pace.
Men like Sir Martyn, who is 52, are part of the problem. They often fail to understand the necessity for hybrid working models or flexibility for working parents. It’s not just mothers who seek this; fathers also want to be present for their children.
In fact, a recent report by the International Workplace Group found that eight in ten working parents prioritize hybrid working arrangements over returning to a full-time office setting.
Perhaps if organizations like Ofsted were to investigate the actual reasons behind students’ reluctance to attend school, rather than merely placing blame on parents, we might see real improvements. Until that shift occurs, it’s likely that school absences will continue to rise.
