To think the Ofsted inspector who blames WFH parents for low attendance is probably just resentful?

[JandamiHash]

The Chief Inspector of Ofsted is blaming parents who WFH for the demise of school attendance https://www.itv.com/news/2025-02-16/parents-working-from-home-makes-children-feel-school-is-optional-ofsted-head?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0ULgukQnTsabNTlcJRBI4kVQsMYkhCPK_KA4lUAgVkxOocYfo3onmRNHU_aem_nuBknA_QEGgfA93CaTPagg. Apparently none of us want to take our slippers off so we let our kids stay at home while we work.

He makes some REALLY weird points like his overworked dad he didn’t see much as his inspiration to go to school. And also MPs making sure they spend weekends with their families is a bad work ethic.

I know MN is a good example of whenever WFH threads are brought up, non-WFHers come on dripping with resentment over WFH and implying WFHers don’t really work. AIBU to think this man - who has somehow been knighted - is basically doing that? I’m not sure how much inspecting he does now, but Ofsted inspectors aren’t any superior or harder working just because they spend a few days working away from home at a time (something BTW I’m expected to do, at least 1 overnight a month).

Also as someone from a household where 2 of us WFH, I can’t think of anything worse than having kids flapping around us while we try and work. I’m FT, and this week I’m off Weds-Fri, as is DH. my DD11 will be at home tomorrow with strict instructions to keep away unless there’s a serious emergency (she’s secondary and old enough to take care of herself) and at a friend’s on Tuesday. My DS is 8 and is going into a holiday club tomorrow and Tuesday as his neediness is unbearable. Both have somewhere between 97 and 99% attendance so far this academic year.

YABU - “He’s got a point”
YANBU - “He’s wrong/resentful”

That comment about children’s clothing is unnecessary.

And general politeness. People are ruder since lockdown IME.

I don’t think we can blame it for kids under what 8, but for older kids and teens it had a huge impact - which it was always going to do, but the support to address this was never put in place.

Yeah, we can. Because that's what happened. Primary school children's attendance is primarily dictated by the parents, and parents not only remember but continue to absorb existing and ongoing cultural attitudes.

It was alongside fact that you’d started the thread about an article you hadn’t read

and then combined with that comment made me smile

Doesn’t sound resentful at all

Not everyone is resentful but many people are. And the few piss takers don’t represent everyone who WFH - much like office piss takers don’t represent all office workers

@HeyDrake EHCPs can cover lots of what you list, e.g like therapies, developing coping strategies, emotional literacy and emotional regulation, education around diet and exercise, etc. Those with EHCPs aren’t limited to what CAMHS can/will offer. If those with EHCPs need MH support, and many do, the provision should be included in their EHCP.

Can I ask a daft question? What is a "hefty dose" of Calpol? Sounds very dangerous for young livers. Surely you just give a dose? Is it common to take half a recommended dose?

@StrivingForSleep parents can also do that work. If parents are letting your five year old watch YouTube before demanding they turn it off and get ready for school or letting your 15 stay up all night gaming and wondering why they aren't waking up at 8 and feeling motivated, that's not helpful. Parents can't expect school and MH services do all the work.

Blimey its a figure of speech!!!

@HeyDrake I didn’t say parents couldn’t also work on it. My post was more in relation to your post misunderstanding the scope of what an EHCP can provide. If you knew what an EHCP could provide you wouldn’t have written the abstract below.

I'm not convinced that EHCP's are the solution to EBSA either. EBSA is a mental health issue, although some school adjustments are beneficial, I have yet to see an EHCP massively reduce school anxiety.
If I wasn't able to go to work due to anxiety, adjustments at work might help, but maybe I still would struggle to serve customers all day.
We would look to MH services to develop coping strategies, distress tolerance, some understanding around their learning styles. Education about emotions and habits to help MH, such as the importance of sleep, diet, staying off SM, exercise, talking therapies etc or DBT for neurodivergent children.
Trouble is, CAHMs are hugely understaffed and you have to be a huge risk to yourself or others to get through the door. There should be MH support specially for EBSA.

OK fair enough!! I was just curious because I know so many people who take dangerous amounts of paracetamol because they think that as they're available in supermarkets the guideline doses are well below lethal thresholds

And seem to have alot of time to post telling us how productive they are being😂

Do you not think that teachers are also parents in many instances who also have to deal with the school closures during covid and strikes?

Telling a teacher they don't understand it from a parents perspective when most are is ironic!

How do you think those teachers managed during lockdown or strike days? Same as all other parents!

Likewise you’re talking about no one in particular.

It’s really not. It’s absolutely fine to point out that girls often wear inappropriate clothing and that their parents for some reason call a journalist about it.

@StrivingForSleep but an EHCP is a hugely long winded and complex way of achieving what other agencies and parents can also do. The problem is when parents put all their eggs in the EHCP basket. Meanwhile their child stops attending in that time. Getting an EHCP seems an odd way to get MH support. But parents feel trapped as they're not accepted by CAHMs, there's a five year weight for diagnosis (not that this gives you any support) and so an EHCP seems the only tangible way of changing their child's situation. I completely emphasis. But this is a mental health issue, it is not just a school issue.
Mental health is the prominent reason for EBSA. These children are not all ND, they are varied in terms of academic ability and varied in family make up, it's not all rich kids or all poor kids. Therefore, it is much more in keeping with MH than being schools problem to fix.

Well the poster is referring to the statistically significant numbers who do match this pattern, a parent at home (whether not working or WFH), and school refuser. These children have increased over time. WFH has increased over time

I had read the article I posted. Not sure what’s hard to understand.

Also don’t understand why you’re flogging this dead horse rather than sharing your insights. I feel like you’re only interested in getting a dig in

you had read an abstract of an article OP

you seem to be on mumsnet every hour of every day. Way to say you WFH full time without saying you WFH full time 😆

Right I’ve got to watch the last half of Gladiator 2 now. All the best!

@HeyDrake a good EHCP can provide far more therapeutic support than the vast majority of parents can either provide themselves, afford to fund privately or get the NHS/charities/schools at a SEN support level, etc. to provide. Yes, parents may have to appeal to achieve a good EHCP, but that doesn’t negate the scope of what an EHCP can provide or mean it isn’t worthwhile pursuing. Thinking an EHCP is an odd way to get support for SEMH needs again shows a lack of understanding about the scope of an EHCP. EHCPs cover SEMH needs.

Not sure what your last paragraph is about since EHCPs aren’t based on being ND, rich or poor, academically able or not, family make up, and can be issued for mental health difficulties.

I think that teachers who are parents, probably understand the nuance of the situations like Covid & Strikes somewhat more than parents who are not teachers.

And I also think that on the balance of probability, the children with attendance issues are not normally the children of teachers.

Hence my original point.

I’m not working today. It’s Sunday

I agree with this. Maybe kids with WFH parents have the odd extra sick day when they are actually ill but it's unlikely to explain sickness rates of 10% and there's nothing in the article to suggest there's a link in terms of whether parents who WFH have kids who are off school more often

I think there's more likely a combination of poor mental health, general reduction in valuing education due to lock downs, and more screen availability making it less annoying to have kids at home all day.

The subject is worthy of a research project definitely but there's no evidence in the article

I was just being exasperated - I mean a standard dose (although I do sometimes round my large 7.5yo up to 8yo 🤫). And I sometimes give them calpol and ibuprofen together, which is technically "allowed", but not ideal (better to alternate).