Pupils who have fallen behind due to lockdown are being misdiagnosed with having special educational needs, the schools watchdog has warned.
Nearly 77,000 pupils last year were identified as having SEND (special education needs and/or disabilities), sparking fears diagnoses are being rushed and are falsely lowering expectations for students.
Almost 1.5million pupils are now identified as having SEND. Ofsted's chief inspector Amanda Spielman said: 'My concern is that identifying a child as needing catch-up help is different from saying the child has a long-term problem.'
Children with SEND are entitled to additional support, including extra time and breaks during exams.
