Bridget Phillipson, the UK’s Education Secretary, has called on parents to prioritize school attendance, warning against a ‘casual attitude’ toward missing school days, particularly in the wake of rising absence rates following the Covid-19 pandemic.

She emphasized the impact of individual decisions on the wider school community, stating that every school day matters and parents have a responsibility to ensure their children attend regularly.

Phillipson acknowledged the challenges many families face but stressed that a consistent commitment to school is essential for children's education and broader societal responsibility.

During a recent speech, Phillipson also addressed the upcoming changes to school inspections, introduced by Ofsted.

The reforms, set to be implemented later this year, will feature a new report card system designed to provide clearer and more granular feedback on school performance.

Despite criticism from union leaders, who have raised concerns about the complexity of the new system, Phillipson defended the reforms, insisting that they will result in stronger inspections aimed at improving education standards.

Additionally, Phillipson outlined plans to improve schools with the introduction of Rise (regional improvement for standards and excellence) teams, which will provide up to £100,000 in specialist support to 600 ‘stuck’ schools, affecting 300,000 children.

She stated that failing schools would be turned into academies if necessary and that the government would not accept a system where some schools perform well while others lag behind.

Daniel Kebede, the general secretary of the National Education Union, criticized the use of terms like ‘stuck schools’ and argued that collaboration, rather than ranking, is key to improving schools.

He also expressed concerns that austerity measures would undermine the effectiveness of school improvement efforts.

Ofsted’s proposed inspection reforms, following the tragic suicide of headteacher Ruth Perry, will grade schools on eight individual areas, from ‘exemplary’ to ‘causing concern,’ with a separate evaluation on safeguarding standards.

Critics, including Perry’s sister Prof Julia Waters, have voiced concerns that the changes may not adequately address the harmful features of the previous inspection system and could introduce new risks to the wellbeing of teachers and headteachers.