Education secretary launches ‘new era of school standards’ in England while defending Ofsted inspection changes

The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has urged parents to ensure their children attend school consistently, warning of “a casual kind of attitude increasingly emerging” over attendance in England.

She acknowledged that many families faced challenges, but said: “It’s not OK just to say, ‘It’s only a Friday, you don’t need to go to school today.’ Every day at school matters and parents have responsibilities, too.”