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“The Government needs to go further to help schools pay for the cost of the pandemic. Unless the COVID-19 workforce fund is extended after Christmas, backdated and eligibility for it widened, more schools will have no option but to close after having spent their budgets on supply teachers, which will only serve to exacerbate growing attainment gaps.”

“Converting to an academy is not always the best solution for a struggling school.

Councils face an £8 billion funding gap by 2025, while an additional £1.6 billion is required in high needs funding by 2021. It is essential that Government uses the forthcoming Spending Review to address these shortfalls, and to ensure schools are adequately funded to support all children to achieve their ambitions.”

Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Boards, Cllr Judith Blake, responds to a report by the Education Policy Institute on unexplained exits of pupils.

“Good quality early education can make an enormous difference to children’s lives, with around 40 per cent of the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers emerging by age 5."

“Good attendance at school plays a vital role in children’s development, however councils lack the powers to ensure children who are missing school don’t slip through the net, such as directing academies to accept pupils."

“We urgently need to reform our children’s social care and SEND systems, including transformational investment in the services that give all children the best start in life.”

“Councils have a legal duty to ensure capacity but need powers to open new schools or direct academies to expand. This is the best way to ensure as many children as possible get the places they want.”

"Councils need the powers and appropriate funding to enter homes or other premises to check a child’s schooling, and make sure they aren’t being taught in unsuitable or dangerous environments."

“Every child should have a fair chance of getting into their parents’ preferred school and councils and schools work extremely hard to try and ensure that as many pupils as possible are allocated their first preference.”