SCHOOLS are suffering from a “shocking and unprecedented decade of government neglect,” education unions warned today after Ofsted said worsening staff shortages are holding back the sector’s recovery from Covid-19.

The inspectorate’s annual report, which focuses on education and social care settings in England, stressed that workforce gaps are “creating or exacerbating” many of the issues identified.

These include growing pressures within the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system, it said.