The medium-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pupils with SEND

This project will examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pupils with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Students with SEND are among the most vulnerable in the school system. 30% of pupils with SEND achieved the expected standard in English reading in Key Stage 1 in 2018/19, compared to 83% of those with no SEND. Support for children with SEND varies massively across local authorities (LA). In 2019, Ofsted found that half of inspected LAs were struggling to meet the needs of vulnerable students.

Preliminary evidence shows pupils with SEND are the most affected by the pandemic and its associated policies. The project team will be building upon this preliminary evidence by answering two research questions:

1. What is the medium term impact of the pandemic on pupils with SEND education outcomes across England?
2. What is the impact of pre-pandemic resources on education outcomes of pupils with SEND throughout the pandemic?

Answering the first research question will involve understanding the impact of the pandemic on educational experiences throughout the different phases of the pandemic. The project team will be using combinations of administrative datasets covering absence rates and test scores. Descriptions on the impact of the pandemic on SEND pupils’ absence rates and test scores will be given alongside a comparison to non-SEND students. This will be complimented by analysis on the impact of the regional COVID-19 tier system.

To address the second question, administrative data on funding and expenditures will be used alongside data on teaching and support staff from 2015 to 2022. The first step will be mapping the different dimensions of pre-pandemic resources by LA to identify those with the least adequate resources. The research team will then compare educational outcomes for pupils with SEND in high resources LAs to those in areas with low resources.

Answering these two research questions will provide new evidence on the medium term impact of the pandemic on pupils with SEND educational outcomes and how resources (such as funding and staff) affect their outcomes across different areas.