Restoring ‘fractured’ contract between parents and schools likely to take years

Restoring the “fractured” social contract between families and schools – where parents ensured their children were in class daily – could take years, England’s education watchdog has warned.

Amanda Spielman, Ofsted’s chief inspector, said the impact of the broken contract can be seen in “lower school attendance, poorer behaviour and friction between parents and schools”.

The annual report, which looks at the state of education and social care in England in the 2022/23 academic year, suggests some parents are “increasingly willing to challenge” schools on their policies and rules.

In her final report as chief inspector of Ofsted, Ms Spielman raised concerns about the “troubling shift in attitudes” in education since the pandemic.

The attitudes of some parents are “falling out of alignment