Responding to a new Education Policy Institute report which identified a postcode lottery in schools' ability to identify special educational needs (SEND) Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Early identification of special educational needs is vital - the sooner additional needs are spotted, the sooner support can be put in place, and this needs to start pre-school.

“However, family support services including children’s centres, which played an important role in children’s social development and timely identification of needs, were scaled back dramatically following cuts under the previous government.

"Local authorities have been forced to raise thresholds for support both in the early years and upwards, and there are increasing concerns about the lower levels of language development in nursery and school starters. This is compounded by shortages of specialist staff like speech and language therapists and education psychologists, which impact the speed and type of support which can be provided.

“School work hard to plug the gaps, and identify and meet pupils’ needs, but they too are hamstrung by shortages of funding and staff expertise.

“When schools and families struggle to access appropriate support, this may impact on behaviour and attendance - this should be seen as an opportunity to identify needs and examine what can be done across services to meet them.

“NAHT has long called for improved teacher training in identification of SEND and more efficient referrals for support - as well as better information sharing between services, and reform and much greater investment to ensure provision reflects children’s needs and is not rationed depending on the funding available.”