Too many children are 鈥渇alling out of step with the expectations of school life鈥 through absence, making them 鈥渕ore likely to cross boundaries, challenge teachers” and disrupt learning, the head of Ofsted has warned. Sir Martyn Oliver also said he was concerned by commentary from education professionals 鈥渄escribing the impact of behaviour and the part it plays in driving too many teachers out of the profession鈥. In 鈥檚 annual report, Oliver also said social media and smartphones were partly responsible for disruptive behaviour. In the watchdog鈥檚 new report cards, attendance and behaviour sit together. Oliver said that 鈥渋n many ways, they are two sides of a coin. 鈥淭oo many children are spending too long out of school and falling out of step with the expectations of school life, which makes them more likely to cross boundaries, challenge teachers and disrupt the learning of others. 鈥淭his is a huge concern of parents, and always has been. But increasingly we are seeing commentary from education professionals describing the impact of behaviour and the part it plays in driving too many teachers out of the profession.鈥 ‘Schools need to help pupils navigate online lives’ In his report, Oliver warned the 鈥渋nfluence of social media, whether by chipping away at attention spans and eroding the necessary patience for learning, or by promoting disrespectful attitudes and behaviours, clearly plays a part鈥 in disruptive behaviour. Access to social media for young people and mobile phone use in schools 鈥渉ave become perennial topics of discussion鈥. Oliver said it was 鈥渃lear to me that schools need to help their pupils navigate the risks and pitfalls of their online lives, but there is no need to facilitate access on school grounds. Far better to provide children with sanctuary from their mobile devices once the school gates close.鈥 Oliver said Ofsted 鈥渕ore often than not鈥 saw schools with 鈥済ood, consistently applied behaviour policies and approaches 鈥 and that is reflected in our historical judgments of behaviour and attitudes. 鈥淲here we see schools taking good steps to tackle behaviour issues, we have tended to judge them 鈥榞ood鈥 or better. So, we need to ask the question: if the school is doing all the right things, why is behaviour such a growing concern among teachers?鈥 Fears over disruptive behaviour He said that 鈥減erhaps the answer lies in the prevalence of lower-level disruption鈥. He pointed to the DfE鈥檚 behaviour survey, which found nearly three quarters of teachers reported that misbehaviour disrupts lessons. Oliver also pointed out permanent exclusion rates in 2023-24 were the highest on record and suspensions were up by a fifth. Disruptive behaviour is a 鈥渉uge factor鈥 鈥 driving four in 10 exclusions and five in 10 suspensions. He argued heads 鈥渕ust have these sanctions available to them, and their use isn鈥檛 at odds with inclusiveness. 鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing inclusive about accepting lowered expectations or putting children鈥檚 education at risk because one child cannot behave. The most inclusive schools can and do have the calmest classrooms where all pupils can thrive.鈥 Severe absence an 鈥榓bsolute scandal鈥 Oliver told a press briefing this morning 鈥渨e鈥檙e starting to see green shoots鈥 of recovery when it comes to attendance, with primary 鈥済etting close back to pre-pandemic levels of attendance, secondaries recovering quickly鈥. 鈥淏ut hidden within that is the absolute scandal of severe absence鈥166,000 pupils are severely absent. That is a real issue. 鈥淥n top of that鈥hildren missing education has risen by 19 per cent – or a fifth – in one year. 鈥淗ow can that be right? How can children missing entirely from education have risen by a fifth in one year? If that’s not a scandal of attendance, I don’t know what is.鈥 Ofsted to ‘strike balance’ between policies and reality Oliver warned that vulnerable and disadvantaged children are 鈥渙ver-represented in the ranks of the severely absent”. Pupils with SEND and those known to social care are over four times more likely to be severely absent, for example. He said that under the new framework, he would like to 鈥渟trike a better balance between evaluating the policies and processes of the school and understanding the realities on the ground for pupils and teachers. 鈥淚n particular, using our focus on inclusion to look at how attendance and behaviour policies are working for different groups of children. We need to build a better understanding of the issues, find out what works in the best schools and make sure that insight is shared widely. 鈥淭his is one of the reasons for our new 鈥榚xceptional鈥 grade, where we will find the very best practice and encourage that to be shared across the system.鈥
Adam Dineen 2 December 2025 This feels like a “wet roads cause rain” understanding of the relationship between attendance and behaviour, at least in secondary schools. I’ve never seen a pupil come back from a long absence and thought “they have forgotten how they were supposed to act in schools”. I have *many* times had students whose behaviour is abysmal, lead to them falling behind, leading to a lack of engagement, leading to a lack of attendance. Behaviour drives attendance, not the other way around.
E Vine 3 December 2025 Unfortunately OFSTED and the curriculum are out of step with what’s needed to motivate, inspire, engage and educate students in the 21st Century
C Bentley 4 December 2025 All things teachers have known for years. At least the new Ofsted Chief is acknowledging the issues. It’s now time to stop berating schools and start assisting and empowering them to address these societal problems head on. Children near clear, consistent, rational boundaries applied by firm but fair committed professionals. One child cannot be allowed to hijack the learning of a whole class. It makes no sense.
Richard Draper 5 December 2025 In my opinion he’s got it TOTALLY the wrong way around. It’s schools and the curriculum that are out of step with the needs of children and young people. As the great poet said ‘education is the lighting of the fire, not the filling of the pail!’