FIVE things OFSTED say about the experiences of parent carers in their 2018/19 report

The Difficult Parent • February 18, 2020

Comments about parent carers from The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills 2018/19

1. Pressured to accept off rolling

Parents are pressured to accept off-rolling through elective home education and many teachers think that parents need more support, especially those with the least understanding of their children’s rights and/or who speak English as an additional language

2. Significant fractures

Too often, parents encounter significant fractures statutory arrangements such as EHC assessment and planning, even in areas that seem to be in working well

3. The prosecution of parents

Inspectors discuss what the school does to support pupils to either continue at the school or to find a place in other schools. Where this had broken down, we found a variety of reasons. In some cases, parents had removed their child from school because they were unable to resolve problems with the school. In other cases, when the school had instigated formal procedures to fine or prosecute the parents for their child’s poor attendance, parents had decided to home-educate their child rather than work with the school to improve the child’s attendance. In other cases, parents felt that their child’s particular needs were not being met and removed them from the roll to another school or to home education

4. Not being valued in coproduction

Parents and carers have a mixed experience of co-production. Too many say that their views and experiences are neither heard nor valued.

5. What good looks like

In providers judged good or outstanding this year for their high-needs provision, we found common themes [ONE OF WHICH WAS THAT] Providers work effectively with parents, carers, the LA, and health and educational professionals.

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