The Warning Signs Are Loud—and Growing Louder
A new report by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has sounded the alarm on what it calls a “deepening crisis” in early years education in England. According to the think tank’s annual review, five-year-olds with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are now 20.1 months behind their peers in educational development—the largest gap recorded since EPI began tracking this data more than a decade ago.
Five years on from the Covid-19 pandemic, the findings reflect a profound failure to help the youngest and most vulnerable students recover from learning loss. The consequences, experts warn, could echo across lifetimes and generations.
SEND Students in Reception Face Record-Breaking Learning Gap
20.1 Months Behind—And Falling Further
The standout figure from the EPI report is devastating: children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)—legal documents outlining the support they’re entitled to—are on average more than 20 months behind their classmates by the end of their reception year.
This gap, the widest ever recorded, underscores what many school leaders and SEND advocates have long feared: the post-pandemic recovery has not reached the students who need it most.
“Our youngest and most vulnerable learners are still paying the price,” said Natalie Perera, Chief Executive of EPI. “Without swift action, we are baking lifelong disadvantage into the system.”
Disadvantaged Pupils Also Falling Behind Across the Board
Covid’s Impact Still Lingers Five Years On
While SEND students face the steepest hurdles, socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils are also significantly behind, and the attainment gap between them and more privileged peers has widened at the early years level.
Even though primary and secondary disadvantage gaps narrowed slightly between 2023 and 2024, the report notes the improvements are marginal at best and, in many cases, the gaps remain wider than they were in 2019—before Covid lockdowns shuttered classrooms and disrupted routines.
Perera points out that education post-pandemic has lacked a “big vision”, particularly when it comes to intervention in the foundational years that set the tone for a child’s academic life.
Post-16 Education Sees Dangerous Drop-Off
One in Five Disadvantaged Teens Now Out of School or Training
Beyond early years, post-16 education is also showing signs of strain. The EPI found that fewer disadvantaged 16-year-olds are participating in education or training than at any point since 2019. One in five is now classified as not in education, employment, or training (NEET).
This is a concerning trend with long-term economic implications, particularly as these young people move into adulthood without the qualifications or support needed to compete in the job market.
SEND System at Breaking Point
Stakeholders Demand Bold Investment and Urgent Reform
The findings of the EPI report have prompted a wave of criticism from education leaders, who are calling for an overhaul of the UK’s broken SEND system.
“The growing inequalities facing our youngest and most vulnerable children… risk entrenching disadvantage for a lifetime,” said John Barneby, CEO of Oasis Community Learning.
Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, also emphasized the need for reform, saying:
“The gap between five-year-olds with SEND and their peers is particularly alarming… [The government] must act with more purpose.”
The current SEND system is under unsustainable pressure, with many families struggling for months or even years to access assessments, let alone services. Funding cuts, staffing shortages, and a backlog of EHCP applications have further worsened the crisis.
Government Promises More Funding—But Is It Enough?
£9 Billion Boost in Early Education Pledged
In response to the report, a Department for Education spokesperson defended the government’s record, pointing to a plan to revamp early education and increase funding:
“From next year we will be investing £9bn per year in a revitalised early-education system… with working parents receiving 30 funded childcare hours a week and a nearly 50% increase in early years disadvantage funding.”
But critics argue this may not be sufficient—or appropriately targeted. Many have warned that improving access without addressing quality or SEND-specific support won’t move the needle.
Perera insists that three urgent priorities need immediate attention:
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Higher levels of targeted funding for disadvantaged learners
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Tackling student absenteeism at its root
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Fixing the SEND system, especially reception-year interventions
Disparities by Ethnicity and Gender Persist
White British Pupils and Girls Losing Ground
The report also reveals worsening disparities among specific demographic groups. At Key Stage 4 (age 16), White British pupils have seen declining attainment relative to other ethnic groups since 2019.
Meanwhile, girls are making less progress than boys at secondary school, when measured from their starting point at age 11. These findings fly in the face of assumptions that girls consistently outperform boys and raise deeper questions about classroom engagement, curriculum design, and assessment methods.
Education Inequality Now a National Emergency
Without Immediate Intervention, a Lost Generation Looms
The EPI report is more than just a policy document—it’s a warning. If the UK fails to act now, it risks losing a generation of learners to a cycle of entrenched disadvantage.
Education experts agree: systemic reform, particularly in early years and SEND, is no longer optional. It is an urgent national imperative.
“This is the critical moment,” said Perera. “Ten years from now, we will look back and see this period as either the moment we turned the tide—or the opportunity we missed.”