Schools' chief highlights a worrying trend

Sir Martyn Oliver, Britain's top school inspector, is concerned about a rise in 'flexi-schooling', where pupils only turn up to the classroom for part of the week, and are educated at home or online for the rest of the time.

Sir Martyn is worried that education has become 'fragmented and disjointed for too many children' , and says attendance which children are supposed to be in school also continues to be a stubborn problem.

He is right to be alarmed, and it is particularly worrying that it is children with special educational needs and behavioural problems who seem to be most affected. One could reasonably wonder whether schools are using 'flexi-schooling' as a way to manage children who present the greatest demands on their time.

Aside from the impact on academic achievement, 'flexi-schooling' will also have an impact on children's ability to learn 'soft skills' such as discipline, punctuality, team-work, and how to relate to others.

Lockdown had a profound impact on many children's lives, something that will be felt for years to come. That it is still disrupting their schooling, years after restrictions were lifted, is worrying indeed.