Rise in middle classes taking children out of school to go on holiday

Middle-class parents no longer feel any stigma about taking their children out of schools for a term time holiday, an education watchdog chief has warned.

Alongside rising truanting and disruption in the classroom, this is further evidence of “fracture” in the social contract between parents and schools, the outgoing chief inspector of schools has warned.

In fact, since the end of the pandemic, increasing numbers of parents are seeing school as a “pick-and-choose” exercise, according to Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted.

In her last annual report before she steps down as the UK’s education watchdog, Ms Spielman highlighted a rise in pupils missing lessons as well as parents increasingly challenging uniform and discipline rules.

She pointed to a shift in attitudes on the part of middle-class mothers and fathers who are now prepared to take their children out of school to take advantage of cheaper foreign holidays.

She said: “Absence is particularly noticeable in secondary schools, but it is a problem for all year groups, all ages, in all demographics and for children with and without special needs.

“Across society, there is less respect for the principle of a full-time education.

“It’s clear that schools are facing greater hostility from parents, there’s more friction between schools and parents who are increasingly willing to challenge school rules.

“But schools set rules and codes for a reason. They don’t just casually say we’ll make life difficult for everybody.

“They’re trying to build a culture, they’re trying to bring children together and create cohesion.

“It’s important that parents understand that and the more requests for exceptions, or opt-outs there are, the harder it is for schools to build that unity, that cohesion, and peer respect among pupils.”

Ms Spielman also pointed to an increase in absences on Fridays and Mondays as parents and pupils extended the weekend break.

For the new academic year so far around one pupil in 46 has been recorded as absent for unauthorised reasons, latest Department of Education figures show.

The rate of unauthorised absences has been higher in every week of the school year so far compared to last year.

And Ofsted recorded a rise of almost 25% in complaints about schools in the last academic year to 14,900.

Ms Spielman said: “This comes back to what I said about the social contract, about parents being a little bit less willing to support schools a bit more willing to find fault.

“The unwritten agreement – which sees parents get their children to school every day and respect the school’s policies – has been damaged.

“Unfortunately, there is ample evidence that this contract has been fractured, both in absenteeism and in behaviour.”

The report found the “remarkable flexibility” shown by many schools in England during the pandemic and remote learning may have had “unintended consequences”, including the idea that parents can “pick and choose” when children attend school and which rules they obey.

For example, Ofsted inspectors have found that schools are breaking Department for Education guidance by increasingly using part-time timetables, which should only be used in exceptional circumstances.

But Ms Spielman said: “The idea that school can be a pick-and-choose exercise needs to be debunked.

“The benefits of schools go well beyond specific lessons and exam results.

“Only through full participation can children get all the benefits – of social skills, confidence and resilience as well as academic achievement.

“School is a package deal that cannot be entirely personalised to every child or parent’s preferences.

“Part-time timetables mean children are missing out on fifty per cent of their schooling with all the consequences that follow.”

However, the report cited reasons to be optimistic about education and children’s social care.

It says there is evidence that the curriculum has improved with many subjects and reading in primary schools taught better.

There has been a marked increase in interest and policy development around further education over the past seven years with more focus on post-16 education.

Teacher training has shown progress and some local authorities are making substantial improvements in social care.

The watchdog carried out 7,240 inspections of state-funded schools this academic year 2022/23 – a rise from 4,670 in 2021/22 and is the highest number of inspections completed in the last five years.

These inspections judged 88% of schools as good or outstanding, 90% of previously good schools remaining good or improving to outstanding and three-quarters of schools previously requiring improvement moving up.

As many as 97 per cent of previously inadequate schools improved, the report found.

The watchdog has faced repeated calls to revamp its school ratings system –

which uses one-word judgments – this year following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in January.

Ms Perry’s family say she took her own life after an *Ofsted* report downgraded her Caversham Primary School in Reading from its highest rating to its lowest over safeguarding concerns.