Secondary schools plagued by a surge in teens playing truant… from within school grounds

• Headteachers have hired support staff to round up pupils and man detentions

Secondary schools are being plagued by a surge in teenagers hanging out in toilets or just wandering corridors instead of going to lessons.

Heads are writing to parents warning about the alarming number of pupils who turn up to school – but not for classes.

The trend, labelled ‘internal truancy’, comes amid a spike in bad behaviour following Covid lockdowns and teachers’ strikes.

Watchdog Ofsted’s chief inspector Amanda Spielman said the problems in schools were so severe, they have eroded the ‘social contract’ between parents and teachers.

Heads have hired support staff to round up pupils and to man detention rooms.

Secondary schools have been hit by a wave of students playing truant on school premises by hanging around on corridors or in toilets

Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman said problems at schools were so severe they were eroding the ‘social contract’ between teachers and parents

But one teacher warned: ‘We can’t make them do anything they don’t want to do and they will walk in and out of the classroom as they see fit.’

Some smoke vape pens in empty rooms, others bang on doors to disrupt classes.

More than 1.5 million children (21.5 per cent of the total) were persistently absent during the autumn and spring terms last year – almost double the number from five years ago.

Geoff Barton, of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: ‘There appears to be a feeling among some young people – and parents – that they can pick and choose when to attend lessons.’

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