Ofsted's Chief Inspector says parents are unlikely to get fined for keeping their kids at home after lockdown measures are lifted and schools reopen.
Talking to Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday about when schools will reopen, Amanda Spielman addressed parents' concerns over the knock-on effect of their kids going back to school.
It was "extraordinarily unlikely that anybody would start at the stick end of the spectrum rather than the carrot", she said.
Childrens' return to school would likely be a staggered affair, Spielman suggested, with "some children attending and some children learning as best they can remotely".
Given that there would be a substantial number of children in households where someone is considered "high risk", she said it was "extraordinarily unlikely" that parents would be penalised for not sending their children to school after restrictions are lifted.
On priorities across age groups, she said younger children should be heading back into the classroom first.
A plan for the reopening of schools is expected to be unveiled this week, with the government's "road map" out of the coronavirus lockdown.
Now Mr Johnson appears to have confirmed primary pupils could be the first to return. The risk from Covid-19 is thought to be the lowest in the youngest children.
Headteachers have previously said the earliest schools could reopen would be June, but only with proper notice.
Ms Spielman said it was in the children's best interests to return to school as soon as possible.
"There is a great deal of logic in targeting younger children," Ms Spielman said.
"Of course, making normality for children is really important and the younger the child, the more they need that simple, structured routine where they understand what’s happening…
"I also think there is a logic from the point of view of parents: the youngest children are the ones who need the greatest care and oversight, it is hardest for parents to work and do all the other things they need to do if they are also looking after perhaps several young children at the same time and trying to make sure they work through schoolwork remotely.”
She said the harm to children brought about by not being in school was "largely invisible".
The lockdown would widen inequalities, both from an educational point of view and a social perspective.
"Some children are living in really difficult circumstances where they are not looked after well and those children aren’t visible to most parents at the moment, they are not out on the streets, they are not in schools, they are not in the playgrounds," she added.
"Of course, there is the longer-term invisible harm of the progressive loss of education which we know is going to be contributing to widening the gaps and the longer children stay out of school, the harder it is going to be to pull that together.”
She also raised concerns about children in vulnerable situations, suffering from things such as domestic abuse.
Ms Spielman added: “Schools make most referrals to local authorities and other services of various kinds and of course, because most children aren’t in school, those referrals aren’t happening, the numbers are down dramatically so many children are not being referred and are not getting services that they absolutely need.
"There is a backlog building up and much of that needs addressed as fast as possible.”
