Families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) face a “postcode lottery” in the support they receive and more children could be “falling through the cracks” as a result of the Covid-19 crisis, according to a major new report. 

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has warned that the pandemic is likely to have “exacerbated existing problems” with identifying children with SEND.

Increasing numbers of pupils are likely to have missed out the support they need because of months of remote education in lockdown and increasing delays in the system, the think-tank said today.

Report: Academies identifying fewer pupils with SEND

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It also highlights how pupils in academies are less likely to be identified with SEND than those in maintained schools

The EPI  has revealed there are “deeply concerning” inconsistencies in how children with SEND across England are identified and supported, with some pupils more likely to access support than others.

It says that parents of children with more complex needs have “long claimed that the support offered by authorities is insufficient and differs markedly from place to place”.

It adds: “Now, for the first time, data analysis from EPI provides evidence at a national level to support claims of disjointed and unequal support for SEND.” 

The research - which tracked hundreds of thousands of pupils from a single year group through primary school - suggests that a child’s access to SEND support is largely determined by the school they go to rather than their individual circumstances.

Those in the most disadvantaged areas of the country are less likely to be identified with SEND than peers in more affluent areas, researchers found.

And pupils who move school, are frequently absent from class, or have suffered abuse or neglect are also less likely to be recognised as having SEND than otherwise similar students, it adds.

The report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, suggests that a large majority of the variation in support can be explained by schools, which can have very different approaches to identifying children with SEND.

It adds: “There is a postcode lottery for accessing SEND support, with access to specialised provision for children heavily determined by the school they attend rather than their individual needs.”

Jo Hutchinson, director for social mobility and vulnerable learners at EPI, said: “While access to SEND support was already very unequal, the pandemic is very likely to have resulted in more children falling through the cracks or facing long waits for support.

“We need to significantly improve how we identify pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, so that we can deliver consistently for families and ensure that no child is denied the support that they need.”

David Laws, executive chairman of EPI and former education minister, said: “It is especially concerning that many of the most disadvantaged children with unstable home lives are less likely to access support for more complex learning needs.

“With the pandemic acting as a further barrier to assessing children’s needs, the government must drastically improve its efforts to ensure that it is reaching the most vulnerable children in society.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We know that despite the important reforms introduced to improve support for young people with SEND, the system is not working for every pupil - that’s why our SEND Review is looking at how to make sure it is consistent all over the country, high quality, and integrated across education, health and care.

“We have also boosted high-needs funding by nearly a quarter to £8 billion in 2021-22, and are supporting local authorities and their partners to improve SEND services for every young person with an Education, Health and Care Plan.

“This includes the programme of inspections and interim visits by Ofsted and the CQC (Care Quality Commission) to check the quality of provision as well as direct support and challenge to individual areas.”