Referrals about vulnerable pupils made by schools fell by almost a third as Covid swept through England and disrupted education, new figures show.

Referrals from schools to social services fell by 31 per cent in the year ending 31 March 2021 - a drop of just under 36,000 referrals, according to data from the Department for Education.

The DfE said this reflected the restrictions on school attendance in place for parts of the year, with the majority of pupils being home-schooled during two national lockdowns during that time.

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The figures have prompted warnings about the potential for vulnerable pupils to have dropped off the radar without regular contact from schools during the pandemic from former children’s commissioner Anne Longfield.

By 31 March, there were 388,490 children in need - the lowest number since 2013.

Fears over drop in school referrals of vulnerable pupils

This was a slight fall compared with the previous year, which the DfE said was driven by the drop in school referrals. A child begins an episode of need when they are referred to children’s social care services.

More than half of those in need on 31 March were male, seven in 10 were white, and pupils aged 10 and over accounted for the majority.

There were 597,760 referrals in the year to 31 March, down 7 per cent from the previous year.

The police remained the most common source of referrals, accounting for 195,270, while there were 81,180 from schools.

More than half of the children in need on 31 March had abuse or neglect identified as their primary need when assessed by a social worker.

The most common additional factors identified in assessments during the year included concerns about a parent or carer being a victim of domestic violence (168,960 assessments) and the mental health of a parent or carer (157,600).

The number of assessments involving concerns about a parent’s drug or alcohol use rose compared with the previous year.

Gangs were a factor in 12,720 assessments.

Data published for the first time this year also shows there were 7,390 assessments where child-on-child sexual abuse was a concern, and 10,070 assessments where child-on-child physical abuse was a concern.

Ms Longfield, the chairwoman of the Commission on Young Lives and former children’s commissioner for England, said: “I am particularly worried about the very sharp drop in referrals during the two school lockdowns.

“Even though schools were open for vulnerable children, many did not attend, and it is very concerning that many have dropped off the radar since.”

Ofsted has warned previously that vulnerable pupils have suffered while being out of teachers’ sight during the Covid-19 crisis.

Last year it said councils were more likely to be responding to a legacy of abuse and neglect after local safeguarding partners struggled to identify children and families in need of early support and protection.