Ofsted should hold councils to account for stalling school attendance to ensure a “razor-sharp focus” on the issue, the children’s commissioner has said.
The Parliamentary education committee was also told today schools are misusing attendance codes to avoid being “caught out” doing “managed moves”.
Witnesses also warned better-off parents are abusing the system of fines for term-time holidays, with some councils reporting receiving cheques from rule-breakers before penalties are even issued.
Attendees at the session, the first of the committee’s persistence absence inquiry, included children’s commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza.
