SEN High needs funding - Mainstream setting
SEN High Needs Funding – Mainstream Settings
Schools and academies are funded for a financial year according to a formula using factors set in national regulations and are allocated a ‘School Budget Share’. A statement informing schools of their funding for the new financial year is published each year.
Funding is allocated to mainstream schools and academies under three main elements:
Element 1 - The Basic Entitlement per pupil (sometimes referred to as the Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU):
Schools get most of their funding based on the total number of pupils in the school. Every pupil in a school attracts an amount of money. The amount varies from one authority to another. There is usually more funding for each pupil in a secondary school than in a primary school. This is the core budget for each school, and it is used to make general provision for all pupils in the school including pupils with SEN.
Element 2 - Additional Support Funding - The School’s Notional SEN Budget:
Within the “School Budget Share” there is a ‘notional’ sum for SEN. It is called the “notional” SEN budget because governors of schools are legally responsible for deciding how the budget share is to be spent in the best interests of all the children of the school. When funding is delegated to schools, they can spend it in the way they think is best. However, schools have a duty to identify, assess and make special educational provision for all children with SEN; and the local authority has a duty to set out what schools are expected to provide from their delegated budget.
A school should use its notional SEN budget to fund up to £6,000 worth of special educational provision for a pupil with SEN (on top of the basic entitlement (AWPU) sum). This is an average figure, as not all pupils with SEN require special educational provision up to the amount of £6,000. It will depend on the individual needs of each pupil with SEN.
Additional SEN Support (Pre 16 pupils)
Apart from the basic entitlement per pupil and a lump sum, mainstream school funding is based on a number of formula factors that differentiate funding on the basis of pupil data. This funding forms part of the notional SEN budget. In Gloucestershire the Notional SEN budget consists of 100% of the Prior Attainment factor rate and 2.5% of the Age Weighted Pupil Unit factor rate.
Schools and Academies will be expected to contribute the first £6,000 of the additional educational support provision for high needs pupils from their notional SEN budget - this is over and above the cost of standard teaching and learning (which is funded by the age weighted pupil unit (AWPU)).
The number of high needs pupils for whom schools are expected to contribute will be restricted to 1 for every 30 pupils on roll (October 2022), rounded to the nearest whole number. Gloucestershire will allocate additional SEN support funding of £6,000 pro rata above the 1 for every 30 pupils on roll threshold.
Element 3 - Top-up Funding (sometimes referred to as an Individually Assigned Resource (IAR))
In addition to funding delegated to schools for elements 1 and 2 described above, if the child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or a statement of special educational needs local authority determines that a child needs additional support to meet specified high needs, it can then provide IAR funding (element 3) towards the extra cost of that provision. The IAR (element 3) is funded by the local authority in which the pupil lives.
Element 3 is provided by the local authority for an individual pupil who has a high level of needs and schools are expected to use this funding to make provision for that individual pupil.
An individually assigned resource is allocated by the LA to enable the school to make appropriate educational provision to meet the educational outcomes in the Statement or Educational Health and Care Plan. Again, governors of schools are legally responsible for deciding how the funds they receive are best used to meet the child’s educational outcomes.
For the very small number of children in mainstream education who have exceptional needs requiring more support above elements 1 and 2 and an IAR, a case can be presented by a school to the local authority SEN Panel to obtain a personal supplement, the amount of which will vary according to the assessed need.
The funding a mainstream school/academy receives as an IAR/personal supplement (element 3) will vary through the year as this money “follows” the child. If a child with an EHCP joins the school part-way through a year, an IAR, and exceptionally a personal supplement, will be allocated to the school on a pro-rata basis, calculated according to the number of school days left in the financial year. Equally, if a child leaves, a proportion of the IAR/personal supplement originally allocated will be removed from the budget, again on a pro-rata basis.
SEN High Needs Funding – Special Centres (SC)
Special centres (SC) are funded on the basis of an agreed number of planned places (base funding) plus top up funding for each occupied place. SCs provide specialist support for a specific type of high need e.g. sensory, physical disability. SC provision is integral to a limited number of mainstream schools and academies. EHCPs will name the SC as appropriate provision to meet the pupil’s needs. The core curriculum is provided through the school and pupils are fully integrated within normal classes in as far as their need allows. SCs are funded to provide the specific specialist support to individual pupils as identified in statements/EHCPs.
Elements 1 & 2 - Base Funding:
Planned places are agreed each year between the establishment and the local authority taking into account the current places and estimated place numbers required in the following September.
SCs are provided with per pupil funding for occupied agreed planned places in the SC through their main school budget share. They are also provided with base funding of £6,000 for each of those occupied agreed planned places and base funding of £10,000 for each of the unoccupied agreed planned places.
Element 3 - Top Up Funding:
SCs are allocated top-up funding for every occupied place. The top-up is funded by the LA in which the pupil lives.
The funding a SC receives as top-up will vary through the year as this money “follows” the child. If a child joins the SC part-way through a year, a top-up will be allocated to the school on a pro-rata basis, calculated according to the number of school days left in the financial year. Equally, if a child leaves, a proportion of the top-up originally allocated will be removed from the budget, again on a pro-rata basis.
Top Up Funding Allocations for Mainstream Settings & Special Centres
The top up funding allocation at pupil level will be made available via Perspective Lite.
Perspective Lite is a web based system which allows the secure transfer of files between schools and the LA. It also provides live headline key stage data as well as news bulletins, amongst some other useful functionality and is available to purchase via GCC Plus.
High Needs Inter Authority Recoupment Process
This shows the funding process for pupils on roll at your school but is the financial responsibility of other local authority
High Needs Inter-Authority Process Flow Chart (PDF, 131.8 KB)
For inter-authority recoupment queries please contact Alan Sherman: alan.sherman@gloucestershire.gov.uk
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