CHILDREN are missing out on education needs due to a rise in flexi-schooling, a report says.
Sir Martyn Oliver, chief inspector at Ofsted, says learning has become “fractured and fragmented” for too many children after the pandemic lockdowns.
He said he was concerned about the growing number of children whose pattern of education has become “disjointed”.
Flexi-schooling sees parents home-educate for part of the week mixed in with heading to the classroom.
Ofsted’s annual report estimates that 34,000 pupils are on the part-time timetables which Sir Martyn called “unacceptable”.
Sir Martyn said: “They are not a long-term solution.
“Having children who are missing education – and it’s sanctioned by the headteacher and with no end in sight – is not good and that’s something that we would want to call out and say is unacceptable practice.
“I am really concerned.”
Nearly a fifth of pupils in England were “persistently absent” – missing at least 10% of school sessions – in autumn and spring 2023/24, latest figures show.
