The government should reform additional funding for poorer pupils to ensure those 鈥減ersistently disadvantaged鈥 get more cash, a think tank said after it found such children were almost two years behind their peers by the end of secondary school. The Education Policy Institute also said all pupils should get a 鈥渢horough screening check鈥 for special educational needs and disabilities at the beginning of primary school to close growing attainment gaps (see full list of solutions below). The found that at age 5, disadvantaged pupils were already 4.8 months behind their peers in 2022, up from 4.2 months in 2019 and its highest level since 2014. By the end of primary school, the gap was 10.3 months, up from 9.3 in 2019 and higher than it was in 2012, reversing a 鈥渟ustained period of decreasing inequalities between 2011 and 2018鈥. At the end of secondary school, poorer pupils were over 18.8 months behind. This gap has also widened by 0.7 months since 2019 and is the highest it has been since 2012. No progress even pre-pandemic However, children with a 鈥渉igh persistence of poverty鈥 were even worse-affected. The EPI found these pupils were 12.2 months behind by the end of primary school and 22.7 months behind by the time they finished key stage 4. These gaps have not widened since 2019, but there was also no progress in reducing them before the pandemic, as there was for other disadvantaged pupils. Adjusting for changes in the composition of those eligible for free school meals because of transitional arrangements following the introduction of universal credit, the EPI found 鈥渟ome evidence that underlying attainment gaps for persistently disadvantaged pupils have widened since 2019鈥. Emily Hunt, from the think tank, said the research showed a 鈥渢roubling picture of the stark inequalities in the English education system, years after the initial disruption of the pandemic鈥. She added 鈥済overnment must take bolder steps to tackle entrenched education inequalities鈥. Weigh funding towards poorest pupils The report called for higher levels of funding for disadvantage, which is 鈥渢hen weighted more heavily towards persistently disadvantaged pupils鈥. To target this additional support, the DfE 鈥渟hould ensure persistently disadvantaged pupils can be easily identified by schools鈥. Including these identifiers on the National Pupil Database 鈥渨ill additionally support research on the outcomes of these pupils鈥. The DfE should 鈥渁lso make available centrally held data linking family income to pupil-level attainment, given that universal credit protections will continue to affect who is considered disadvantaged based on FSM eligibility鈥. The EPI research also found reception children with education, health and care plans were already 19.7 months behind in 2022, while those receiving SEN support were 12.4 months behind. These gaps have 鈥渇latlined and widened respectively during the pandemic and, unlike for later phases, they have also widened since the start of the series in 2013鈥. Pupils with EHCPs were 28.3 months behind by the end of key stage 2, and those getting SEN support were 18.1 months behind. By the end of key stage 4, these gaps were 40.7 months and 23 months respectively. ‘Screening check’ for SEND needed The EPI called for 鈥渕ore effective support for the very youngest children with SEND and for all children with the most significant SEND, as there has been no progress in closing the gap for these groups in recent years鈥. 鈥淭here is also a need for improved early identification of SEND in young children. This could take the form of a thorough screening check during reception year.鈥 The DfE should also publish a strategy to reduce the disadvantage gap, clarifying the government鈥檚 鈥渓evel of ambition regarding educational inequalities鈥, EPI said. The think tank also called for an 鈥渦rgent鈥 cross-government child poverty strategy. Researchers also looked at attainment by ethnicity. They found Gypsy Roma pupils were 31.4 months behind white British pupils by the end of secondary school. At the same stage, Chinese pupils were 24.1 months ahead of white British pupils. The DfE should 鈥渄evelop an understanding of why the attainment of some ethnic groups has been more adversely impacted by the pandemic than others, including the roles of poverty and pupil absence which are known to vary by ethnicity鈥. Closing the attainment gap: 7 policy solutions DfE to publish strategy to close disadvantage gap, including review of existing policies Cross-government child poverty strategy recognising social determinants of education inequality Boost funding for poorer pupils, including being weighted more heavily towards those persistently disadvantaged Include identifiers for such pupils on the National Pupil Database and make available data linking family income to pupil-level attainment Better support youngest children with SEND, including better teacher training, high needs budget review and ensuring access to specialist services Thorough screen check during reception for improved early identification of SEND DfE should understand why performance of white and black Caribbean pupils has been more adversely impacted by the pandemic