The head of England's schools watchdog has declared a national attendance 'scandal' after official figures revealed the number of children vanishing from the education system has surged to over 39,000.
A Sharp Rise in Missing Pupils
In his annual report, Ofsted's chief inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, highlighted the dramatic increase as the most concerning factor holding back young people. Department for Education data shows that in the autumn term of the 2024/25 academic year, approximately 39,200 children were missing from education. This marks a sharp rise of nearly 20% from the 33,000 recorded the previous year.
These children, classified as 'children missing education' (CME), are not registered at any school and are not receiving a suitable home education. Sir Martyn posed the stark question: "How can children missing entirely from education have risen by a fifth in one year? If that’s not a scandal of attendance, I don’t know what is." He described the problem as 'endemic' across the school system.
Vulnerable Children at Risk
Ofsted stressed that the impact of being out of school 'can be huge', with children potentially taking years to catch up with their peers. The watchdog warned that these vulnerable young people, often from complex backgrounds, are at heightened risk. They may be in care, from traveller or migrant families, have special educational needs (SEND), or be suffering from severe anxiety.
The consequences extend far beyond lost learning. Ofsted cautioned that children missing education face a greater danger of lifelong unemployment, becoming victims of exploitation, or being drawn into criminal activity such as county lines gangs.
Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, echoed these concerns, stating the situation represents "a very serious child protection issue" and that the country is "storing up huge problems for the future."
Calls for Action and a Wider Warning
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, called for the establishment of an official register for children not in school. He warned of the current danger of children becoming "lost outside the system," which not only harms their education but increases their risk of harm.
In the same report, Sir Martyn also issued a warning about the corrosive effect of social media on young people's attention spans and behaviour. While he advocated for schools to be a 'sanctuary' from mobile phones, he stopped short of demanding a blanket ban. Campaign group Safe Screens, however, argued that banning phones from schools "should have been done already" and called for tougher enforcement of age restrictions on social media platforms.
The surge in children missing education may be partly due to improved reporting mechanisms, as data collection in this area is relatively new. Nevertheless, the figures have triggered urgent calls for a coordinated national response to find these missing children and safeguard their futures.
