皇冠体育app

Most children are well-served by the education sector and, in social care, life-changing work is being done for children and young people every day. However, education and social care professionals are working hard under immense pressure. And where systems are under strain, it is vulnerable and disadvantaged children who are most affected.聽

Workforce challenges mean there are often not enough qualified staff in classrooms, nurseries, colleges or care settings. 皇冠体育app SEND system is struggling as demand for services continues to rise. In schools, attendance issues have deepened and learning has become disjointed for too many children. 皇冠体育app number of children in care continues to rise, but there is a shortage of foster carers and not enough children鈥檚 homes in the right places.聽聽聽

Published today, these are among the findings of the first Ofsted annual report from Sir Martyn Oliver, who began his 5-year term as His Majesty鈥檚 Chief Inspector in January. 皇冠体育app report summarises Sir Martyn鈥檚 observations during his first 12 months in post and reflects on the current position of education and children鈥檚 social care in England.

Sir Martyn Oliver said:

皇冠体育app education and children鈥檚 social care sectors are fundamental to the future success of this country. 皇冠体育appir influence on the lives of children cannot be overstated. Our work allows us to see this influence up close. For the vast majority of children, the outcome is a positive one: the education and care they receive is of a high standard, and their future is brighter because of it.聽聽

My priority is to make sure that all children share this positive experience. We know that for the most vulnerable children, life and learning can be more difficult. That is very rarely down to the services they receive, but it can be down to the services they do not receive.

This year鈥檚 report reflects a period of change and reform 鈥� both within Ofsted and in government. In September, the response to the Big Listen set out the many changes Ofsted is making to improve inspection and reduce pressure on staff. Foremost among the changes, and a first step to wider reform, was the removal of the overall effectiveness grade from inspections of state-funded schools from September.

In the new year, Ofsted will formally consult on a renewed inspection framework for schools, early years, further education (FE) and skills providers, and initial teacher education. This will propose the introduction of report cards to follow all education inspections, offering more detail about a provider鈥檚 strengths and weaknesses. In 2026, Ofsted will start to introduce changes to the way social care providers are inspected.

Sir Martyn Oliver concluded:

Ofsted plays a part in advocating for the most vulnerable children by drawing attention to the services under most pressure, the cracks in the system, or the providers that are not meeting their needs. That sits alongside our duty to recognise excellence, innovation and exemplary practice, and to reassure parents about the education and care their children receive. As we introduce changes to the way we work, we will not shy away from calling out unacceptable education or care. But we will also highlight and champion great work and positive outcomes.聽聽

皇冠体育appre are plenty of reasons to be positive about the future 鈥� not least because the services we inspect and regulate employ thousands of committed and talented people, doing their best for children and learners every day. 皇冠体育appy deserve all our thanks.

This year鈥檚 annual report finds:

In early years

• Many families have trouble accessing high-quality early childcare, with 鈥榗hildcare deserts鈥� more likely to be in areas experiencing lower incomes and higher child poverty.聽聽

• Many nurseries are struggling to recruit and retain skilled and qualified staff. 皇冠体育app disruption caused by high staff turnover can have a negative impact on children鈥檚 learning and well-being, with vulnerable children and those with SEND particularly affected.聽聽

• 皇冠体育app vast majority of early years providers are doing a good job for children, but primary schools report that some children continue to lag behind with language, communication and social skills by the time they start school.

In schools

• 皇冠体育app absence rate has risen since the pandemic, with disadvantaged and vulnerable children more likely to be persistently or severely absent.聽聽

• A growing number of children are now on part-time timetables, while a mix of online and in-person education is increasingly being used for children with SEND and behaviour or health needs. A small number of schools also now allow flexi-schooling, where parents home educate their children for part of the week. Along with a growth in home鈥搒chooling and an unknown number of children attending unregistered schools, this means a very significant number are experiencing unorthodox patterns of education.

In the SEND system

• 皇冠体育app number of children with SEND continues to increase, putting even more pressure on the already strained SEND 蝉测蝉迟别尘.听听

• Inconsistencies and weaknesses continue in area SEND arrangements, and many children do not receive the right support at the right time. This is aggravated where there is ineffective use of information across partnerships, and weak joint commissioning, governance and oversight.聽聽

• Not all children with an identified need will need an EHC plan. High-quality targeted support in mainstream schools and other early interventions can be made. If EHC plans are used too widely, the resources that follow them will always be stretched too thinly for those in most need.聽聽

• Under the DfE鈥檚 SEND code of practice, all schools should have a qualified teacher appointed special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). Making sure all schools meet this requirement is important.

Children鈥檚 social care聽

• 皇冠体育app number of children鈥檚 homes registered with Ofsted has sharply increased, but their geographic distribution does not reflect demand. Policymakers must address this and prevent too many children being sent to homes far away from friends, families and the places they know.聽

• Without the right homes in the right places, too many children are placed in unregistered homes without regulatory oversight.

• 皇冠体育app number of children subject to court-imposed deprivation of liberty (DoL) orders has increased over the last couple of years. Last year, over 1,200 DoL applications were made, compared to 580 in 2020/21聽.

In FE and skills聽

• 皇冠体育app number of apprenticeships starting each year has decreased in recent years, but the quality of apprenticeships appears to be improving.聽聽

• 皇冠体育app education received by children in young offender institutions has been in decline for a decade, and provision for adult prisoners remains very weak. Improving education in the secure estate could ease the pressure on places by reducing reoffending and helping more convicts turn their lives around.