Published today, 2nd December 25, the Ofsted Annual Report 2024/25 paints a serious picture of the English education and social care system, warning that disparity, vulnerability, and lack of inclusion are having a detrimental, cumulative impact on children’s lives.
The Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, concludes that “Inclusion matters,” stressing that success should be measured by how well the system supports the most economically disadvantaged and vulnerable children. The report draws upon a new education inspection framework, effective from 10 November 2024, which introduces a specific ‘inclusion’ evaluation area.
Report Summary
The report’s key findings highlight a system under strain and deep-seated inequalities:
- Disparity and Disadvantage: The attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers begins early and widens across the education system. The report explicitly states this begins with a “lack of access to good quality early education and care in the most deprived areas.”
- Absence Crisis: The number of children missing from school has risen by a fifth in a year. A significant 166,000 pupils were severely absent (missing half or more of their schooling), with the majority considered vulnerable or disadvantaged.
- SEND as a Driver: A major driver of non-attendance is Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Many children not in school have complex needs, including physical and mental health conditions, and a significant number are waiting for neurodevelopmental assessments.
Implications for Early Years Provision
The report places the Early Years Provision at the heart of the national challenge, stating that a lack of good quality access in the most deprived areas has a “lasting impact on entire communities.”
1. Focus on Safety, Welfare, and Babies
The report reveals significant policy and practice changes driven by serious case work involving the death of babies and young children in early years settings:
- EYFS Statutory Framework Updates: Ofsted has worked with the Department for Education (DfE) to ensure safe feeding practices are now included in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework.
- Safer Sleep Practices: Training for inspectors has been revisited to focus on safer sleep practices.
- Vulnerability of Babies: The report highlights the “vulnerability of babies, particularly those under a year old,” noting their absolute dependence on adults to meet their needs and protect them from harm.
- New Toolkit Focus: Updated EYFS requirements concerning nutrition and safe sleep for babies are now reflected in the children’s welfare and wellbeing evaluation area of the new early years inspection toolkit.
- Future Policy: Ofsted states it will “continue to work with the DfE to encourage a stronger focus on babies within the EYFS.”
2. Inclusion and Quality of Access
The central issue for the sector is the disparity in access and the quality of provision for vulnerable children:
- ‘Childcare Deserts’: The attainment gap starts in the early years because good quality provision is often absent in the most deprived areas. The new ‘inclusion’ evaluation area within the inspection framework will specifically scrutinise how settings provide high-quality support for all children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with SEND.
- Workforce Quality: The report implicitly underscores the need for a highly qualified workforce, as the quality of interactions with the youngest children is paramount in closing the gap before children start school. The effectiveness of the government’s expanded childcare entitlement hinges on the quality being high enough to attract and retain families, particularly in under-served areas.
Read the report in full here: Ofsted annual report 2024/25: education, children’s services and skills – GOV.UK
Read our blog on deprivation here: Deprivation’s Early Grip: How Inequality Holds Back England’s
