How are schools funded for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?

Local authorities consult their local schools forum and design their own funding formula.

A compulsory factor is the basic entitlement which is a formula based on a sum per pupil in the school. Deprivation is also taken into consideration as a compulsory factor. This is often based on the number of free school meals provided by a school.

Other optional factors can be low prior attainment in early year’s provision, the number of looked-after children, and the number of EAL children who have entered the school system for the first three years and so on.

For pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) at a mainstream school like Horsell Junior, local authorities must provide sufficient funding in their delegated budget to enable them to support these pupils’ needs, up to the cost threshold of £6,000 per pupil per year. This is called the notional SEND budget. Local authorities must specify how much of the funding a school receives through the school funding formula which constitutes its notional SEND budget. If a pupil requires further support which costs more than £6,000, the additional funding required should be met by top-up funding from the local authority placing the child at the school. Top-up funding rates are agreed locally.

For Surrey mainstream schools, the Local Authority top's up funding via EHCP's through a tiered banding system. Details on the banding can be found here: Surrey Mainstream Banding.