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Record attainment gap for children with SEN in early years
Children receiving support for special educational needs (SEN) are already more than a year behind their peers at the end of reception year, the largest gap on record.
The Education Policy Institute (EPI) annual report on the state of education in England found the situation for children with more complex needs was even worse, as children with an Education, Health and Care Plan were 19.9 months behind their peers at age five, also the largest gap on record.
The report also found that disadvantaged children are falling further behind their more advantaged peers at a very early age, with the attainment gap at age five widening by 10% between 2019 and 2023. Disadvantaged children are currently 4.6 months behind their peers at the end of reception year.
Disadvantaged children in London had the smallest attainment gap, at 3.4 months. Children in the London boroughs of Hackney and Waltham Forest had the smallest gap between them and their peers in the whole country (1.1 months and 1.3 months). The South West, the East of England, and the North West had the largest gaps, at 5.3, 5.2, and 5.1 months.
The EPI said there remains a need to provide more effective support for young children with SEND (special educational needs and disabilities). The report calls for measures including improved early identification, better teacher training and a greater understanding of changes in the types of need identified in recent years, and how support should adapt accordingly.
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: “As the rollout of early entitlement expansion continues, we urge the new government to make equality of access a policy priority. This means reviewing the eligibility criteria for the existing entitlement offers, and ensuring that there is adequate financial support for providers delivering places to children from disadvantaged backgrounds – by, for example, increasing early years pupil premium funding to primary levels.”
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