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”

The Study suggested that kids were refusing school because their parents got to stay at home. I'm not aware of it being about parents who are too lazy to take them. I taught quite a few kids who loved online learning when they were given work at 7am and could get it done without disruption, then have the rest of the day for themselves. I found lessons written during lockdown took one and a half to two lessons in the classroom. Why should kids like that have any desire to go to school?

Or maybe we could look at it from a health perspective. Kids with WFH parents have better health care and recovery.
Its all about the framing.
Kids are sick and their health is being given priority by WFH parents because their work isn't dictating the ability for them to stay home and recuperate. Frankly kids should stay home when sick and the main reason they don't is because parents often have no choice to prioritise their kids health and wellbeing over work.
Two sides to the same coin.

And one more idea ...maybe the poor kids suffering Long Covid make up a large number of these absences?
www.longcovidkids.org/

What study?

I’ve yet to come across non WFH who are “resentful” of WFHers. More that they point out, rightly, that lots do take the piss (as evidenced often on MN). And some WFHers seem to get very defensive about that.

I am not saying all WFHers are skiving, but we all know some that are.

The one being discussed in this thread 😂

There isn’t a study being discussed in this thread it was an article about an interview.

I was thinking of this thread this morning when at 9am I was trying to proof read an important document that needed to be signed off this morning, whilst I could hear DH fannying around with DS getting ready for holiday club and DD stomping about declaring how hungry she was. I thought “Yeah this is definitely the easy option Mr Ofsted” 🙄

Does he make the same assertions about SAHPs?

I WFH 90% of the time, my children have 100% attendance since September. I couldn’t think of anything worse than trying to work with the kids about.

@pollymere there is no study!

There's an article with a bloke's opinion and not much to support it.

This.
(And Ofsted inspectors say all sorts of things - you have to make your own judgement - I wouldn't describe this as resentful).

I completely agree with the OP.
I was at home, not working (either from home or an office) for 12 years with my young children. Spent every day with my "slippers on" being a SAHM through choice (and i acknowledge the privilege of that choice). My children attended school despite my slipper wearing fetish.
Now my children are 10 and 13 and I have enthusiastically returned to work (4 days) and I do most of my working week from home.
My attitude has always been, and remains, that attending school is in the best interest of our children. If they are ill and cannot attend, then of course we make arrangements between us to ensure they can be looked after. If they are well then they go to school. They have always had attendance well above 95%.
Pretty straightforward stuff and not influenced in any way by my office and bank of monitors being in our home rather than a few miles down the road.
I'm astonished at the reductive nonsense being spouted by someone that has this level of influence in education. That he can put out this drivel without any data to give credibility to his claims simply undermines Ofsted. Given the reputational damage they have suffered recently I'm surprised this interview was given the green light.
This issue is far more complex than Mr Slippers wishes to acknowledge. Those with a background in education/social care will likely agree.

See I can’t be doing with slippers, I have huge flipper like feet and they always come off - can’t beat a pair woolly bed socks in the winter and some fuck ugly sliders in the summer (though i have sworn on my first born to never wear Crocs). Do I count as a contributor of low attendance or do you think the footwear has to be slipper specific??

In all seriousness you make a good point about illness - surely it’s a good things that it’s easier to stay off with sick kids for those who don’t work out the home. But Ofsted have shown that Parental judgement is not trusted, we are either skiving by proxy or being snowflakes towards our kids. Their PR and comms team needs sacking - such a bad reputational move. Theyre really building their own gallows

I can't bear the kids being home when I'm working. Mine are out of the door by 8am, not sure he really knows what he's talking about.

Ah look mainstream media & the government parent blaming again. What a surprise.

If Ofsted/the department for Education thought a little deeper than they do (they’re not deep thinkers), they may wonder why there is an attendance crisis in schools. They may start to ponder why so many teachers and students are leaving schools. They may look at the fact that the world has changed, particularly since the pandemic (other ways too) and analyse what it is about school that makes it SO unappealing to most.

Will they do that? Probably not. They’ll likely bring in ever increasing fines and penalties and bury their heads in the sand.

WFH allows me to work and manage the fact that primary is much harder to manage logistically than nursery because schools still seem to assume people don’t have jobs. having us both work full time with long commutes was killing us.

What WFH allows: if a child is borderline, I can send them in knowing if they deteriorate I can pick up at lunchtime. Conversely it means it’s easier to let then stay at home to recover if they are poorly. This is a good thing. Children get ill and sometimes just need rest. It is also easier to manage doctor or dentist appointments.

When WFH I much prefer my children in school or childcare. I’d be much more likely to have the odd day where I keep them off for something fun if I didn’t have a job. There’s no point having them at home being bored while I’m working so I don’t buy that logic at all. The kid with the worst absence in my daughter’s class has anxiety and a sahm who lives quite a long commute from the school. That set up makes it very easy to have a day at home. Working parents often desperately to try and avoid it.

What makes it unappealing to teachers is badly behaved children and parents, especially the parents who blame the teachers for their own kids behaviour!

He’s being paid to say it by some right-wing think tank who have donors who own office property in big cities.
its all nonsense.
bad parents are bad parents.
nervous kids are nervous kids.

i am totally overworked because we all WFH and my boss refuses to acknowledge he needs to ask for more headcount. If I was in an office they’d see there’s a problem with workload vs staff

Yeah cos that’s the only reason….

Well that’s why all my friends have left teaching! What are the other reasons then?

Ofsted

And over worked and underpaid and under appreciated and toxic workplaces. Did you really just think kids were a reason people are leaving teaching?! Anyone I know who’s left teaching has done so with a heavy heart because they care so much about the children they teach

There was a segment on Lorraine yesterday where they were discussing it. They were also saying it is easier for parents to wfh with their children than take them to school. I’m not sure what planet they are from as this just isn’t true. I think it’s all part of a drive to get everyone back in the office personally.

Does Lorraine think she's qualified to comment in this area or something? Didn't think she lived in the studio personally!