Schools must make time for sports, trips and clubs or risk prolonging the ‘loss’ of social skills caused by lockdowns, the head of Ofsted urges.
Amanda Spielman suggests heads could extend the school day to bring back ‘once cherished’ activities like football, drama club and music.
As schools reopen this week, she says there are ‘rising health concerns’ about pupils who have ‘lost out’ on developing social skills and had few opportunities to ‘overcome shyness or lack of confidence’.
Mrs Spielman, the chief inspector of schools, insists there is a pressing need for schools to get back to normal
And while the academic catch-up effort is ‘crucial’, she says it is ‘not enough to help them recover all that they have lost’.
Her comments, in an article for the Daily Mail on this page, will hold huge sway among heads as they seek to improve their Ofsted rating.
It comes after experts found children’s language skills and physical fitness had been seriously hampered by the lockdowns.
The children’s minister, Vicky Ford, said some were having to learn the words ‘cake’, ‘balloon’, ‘toy’, and ‘present’ because they had not attended a party since they learned how to speak.
Mrs Spielman, the chief inspector of schools, insists there is a pressing need for schools to get back to normal. She says: ‘With extra-curricular activities halted, children have lost out on learning the soft skills such as listening to others, speaking well, and problem solving.’
And she says the ‘possibility of a longer school day’ would allow time for these skills to be developed.
Ofsted said yesterday schools are not expected to spend vast amounts on extra-curricular activities, which can be simple and draw on the talents of staff or people in the community.
