Ofsted annual report 2024/25 published. What does it tell us?

Please note: Ofsted inspect and regulate not only education, but other aspects of work with children and young people. This summary is aimed at education settings, and so does not look in any detail at the other areas the annual report covers.

From the outset, Sir Martyn Oliver sets out the main challenge in the latest Ofsted Annual Report: the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers which "starts early and widens through education phases." He considers that this is compounded by the fact that disadvantaged pupils "too often miss school and are unable to recover lost learning." Severe absence (defined as missing more than half of schooling) now affects around 166,000 pupils — three times the pre-pandemic figure, alongside a rising number of children receiving only part-time provision or being educated outside mainstream systems without adequate oversight.

Vulnerability and disadvantage

Earlier in the year, the National Children’s Bureau undertook research on behalf of Ofsted, which concluded that vulnerability is a state not a trait (i.e. it is something that may be temporary as opposed to an enduring situation), with many factors which influencing the concept of vulnerability. For some this is due to socioeconomic disadvantage, for others, recent arrival in the UK with limited English. Such barriers may be cumulative, but equally not all of them would necessarily be immediately considered as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). We therefore need to consider all areas of disadvantage and how vulnerability causing issues may be unique to that individual child or family. This report builds on this, highlighting the importance of getting intervention right from the start in order to reduce barriers to learning – emphasising the crucial role that early years practitioners and childminders hold, alongside the need for this to be supported by relevant training and qualification.

Inclusion

The theme of inclusion runs throughout the report. Disadvantaged pupils are more than three times as likely to miss at least half of their schooling and five times as likely to be permanently excluded. Despite the dedication of parents, carers and professionals, the report suggests that the special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) system is "broken", leaving families in a constant struggle to secure support, and that this cohort are disproportionately affected by attendance and deprivation. Children with SEND are reported to be four and a half times more likely to be severely absent. The report reinforces the view that despite the good work of many, the system is in disarray with pockets of positive experiences, usually based around cohorts of practitioners who are working well together.

The report also highlights the persistent gap in educational outcomes for children in the care of the local authority compared with their peers. These pupils often start behind and fall further back during secondary school. Ofsted attributes this largely to "the lack of co-ordinated support across education, care and wider services."

Serious Youth Violence

As children progress through the education system, their education and social systems can become more diverse. The report notes that there is an increasing number of children and young people who have complex needs and / or are vulnerable to harm outside the home. Ofsted have identified that one area of harm outside the home, serious youth violence, is more widespread than believed, with numbers of those involved rising. The report identifies that it is often the same cohort of disadvantaged children and young people who are at disproportionately higher risk. The report states:

"Serious youth violence happens in all areas of the country and in all demographics. But we found that not all the areas we visited were aware that there was an issue in their area. Some considered it a problem found only in inner city or urban areas. We found evidence that the fear of violence was very widespread, and that too many children routinely carried knives because they believed this was necessary to keep them safe." (p.65)

The report also notes that inspectors often find that serious youth violence is not being seen as a safeguarding issue, meaning that those involved are not routinely getting the help and support that they need.

Poor behaviour

Finally, the report examines the impact of behaviour in classrooms. While many settings have strong, consistently applied behaviour policies, an increasing number of teachers identify behaviour as a growing concern. The report suggests that widespread low-level disruption may be the underlying issue, potentially linked to the influence of social media on attention spans and attitudes. One proposed solution is for education settings to become "a sanctuary from mobile devices once the school gates close."

So what can we do?

The Ofsted Annual Report is not telling us anything new, instead serving to reinforce what we already know – effective safeguarding of children and young people relies on understanding their lived experience and that this is primarily done through building solid relationships and having a sound safeguarding culture in place. It is however good to remind ourselves of the challenges and look at how our setting is addressing them.

DSLs will likely be able to highlight the children who are suffering the most disadvantage in their setting, but what about those that have not come to anyone’s attention? Are staff confident to identify vulnerability – whether short or long term? Do all staff have confidence in relation to safeguarding, exhibit professional curiosity, and know to flag all concerns. Are your recording systems identifying themes and patterns, and is there challenge from your governance body around how you are a setting are responding and keeping your students safe? Where we do know of a child’s vulnerabilities, how robust is our support plan (and where relevant the multi-agency support plan)?

Some things are easier to change than others – for example your settings policies on mobile devices may need a more thorough review as there will be a number of competing views, whereas looking at how your setting responds to serious youth violence may be a less demanding area of work.

Safeguarding Network can help – our Essentials membership offers regular training in relation to all areas identified in Keeping Children Safe in Education following a two-year curriculum (including serious youth violence).

Our Enhanced membership package takes this further providing additional materials to assess and develop your setting’s culture, whilst our governor membership provides materials for governors to challenge the setting on where they consider themselves to be and independently form a view as to whether responses are effective.

Through our safeguarding supervision we provide a space for DSLs and safeguarding teams to reflect, discuss and plan, whilst our safeguarding reviews provide an independent challenge around the culture of safeguarding in your setting. Find out more today.