Ofsted ‘alarmed’ by school absence and ‘flexi-schooling’

Ofsted’s report also said education had “become fractured and fragmented for too many children”.

It found “a small number of schools” allowed children to be flexi-schooled. However, because this is often recorded as an authorised absence, it is not clear how many pupils 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, was “increasingly used” for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send), or those with behaviour or health needs.

Around 34,000 children are thought to be educated according to part-time timetables, and 92,000 are estimated to be home-educated.

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