HIGH NEEDS FUNDING GUIDANCE
2014/15
HN Funding Guidance v0.4 010914
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CONTENTS
1. PURPOSE
2. EARLY YEARS
3. MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS INCLUDING ACADEMIES
4. TRANSITIONAL TOP UP FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR HIGH NEEDS LEARNERS WITH A
STATEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEED (SEN)
5. FUNDING OF PUPILS WITH EDUCATION HEALTH & CARE PLANS
6. TOP-UP FUNDING – HIGH NEEDS PANEL
7. TOP UP FUNDING WHERE HIGH NEEDS ELEMENT 2 EXPENDED
8. HIGH NEEDS EARMARKED RESERVES
9. IMPLEMENTATION DATES
10. POST 16/COLLEGES
11. ALTERNATIVE PROVISION (AP)
12. SEN UNITS AND RESOURCED PROVISION
13. SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES
14. VISUALLY IMPAIRED PUPILS
15. HEARING IMPAIRED PUPILS
16. PERMANENT EXCLUSIONS CLAWBACK
17. PUPILS WHO ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITIES
18. CONTACT DETAILS - HIGH NEEDS BUSINESS SUPPORT TEAM
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1.
PURPOSE
1.1
This document outlines Northamptonshire’s High Needs funding arrangements under the
Department for Education (DFE) School Funding Arrangements for 2014/15.
2
EARLY YEARS (EY)
2.1
Early Years settings are funded from the EY block within the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). A
percentage of the settings’ funding is deemed to be its notional SEN.
2.2
EY settings will be required to contribute towards the cost of any child with high needs, out of
their notional SEN. This has been defined as £500, per pupil per financial year for a high needs
child in a PVI setting and £240 per pupil per financial year for a childminder, until 50% of the
notional SEN has been exhausted.
2.3
Once 50% of the settings notional SEN has been exhausted, any subsequent successful
applications for high needs top up funding will be funded in full i.e. without a contribution
from the setting.
2.4
For EY children without a finalised Statement of Special Educational Need or an Education
Health & Care Plan, top up funding can be applied for via the high needs funding panel once
the child has commenced the placement and meets the following criteria:

Those in receipt of Early Years Single Funded Formula (EYSFF)

And whose needs cannot be met through the support identified in the Early Years
descriptors (link below)
EARLY YEARS DESCRIPTORS (MIND MAPS)
2.5
Exceptionally for children with the highest level of need, where the level of support would
exceed the settings contribution within 6 weeks of the commencement of the placement,
settings will be able to apply to the High Needs Funding Panel before the child starts.
2.6
To improve consistency of funding decisions by the High Needs Panel, with effect from April
2014 funding for EY settings will be paid at a rate of £9 per hour (inclusive of on costs), to
provide all aspects of the identified program of support. A maximum of 570 hours per annum
will be funded, in line with free entitlement to funded childcare.
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2.7
Where EY children have a finalised Statement of Special Educational Need or Education Health
& Care Plan (EHC Plan), funding will be based on the support identified in the Statement or
EHC Plan and paid at a rate of £9 per hour (inclusive of on costs), to provide all aspects of the
identified program of support. A maximum of 570 hours per annum will be funded, in line with
free entitlement to funded childcare. As these children will usually have the highest level of
need there will be no requirement to apply to High Needs Panel. However, settings (in
particular PVI settings) will need to contact the High Needs Business Support team (High
Needs BST) (contact details below) to make them aware of any new placement to their setting
of a child with a finalised Statement or EHC Plan with a program of support that will require
additional funding to enable the setting to meet need.
2.8
For children with a finalised statement, funding as outlined in 2.7 above, will continue until
current statements have been reviewed in line with the transition time table and statements
(where applicable) are transferred to Education, Health & Care Plans (EHC Plans). Any existing
top up funding arrangement would then be reviewed in line with the EHC Plan.
2.9
Any funding agreed at an EYSFF setting will cease at transition phase or if the child moves to
another EY setting. Where a child with an agreed high needs funding arrangement moves to
another EY setting, the existing funding arrangement may continue at the new setting. It is
important that settings, particularly PVI settings, contact the High Needs BST immediately
should a child, for whom they are receiving top up funding, leave or join their setting - see
contact details via link below:
HIGH NEEDS BUSINESS SUPPORT TEAM
3
MAINSTREAM SCHOOLS INCLUDING ACADEMIES
3.1
Under the DFE funding arrangements, mainstream schools and academies are required to
meet the cost of the basic per pupil entitlement (AWPU) and up to £6,000 of additional
support for pupils with high needs, from their individual schools formula budget
3.2
The Authority is required to set a notional SEN budget as part of the funding formula. The DfE
state that:
“Whichever way local authorities choose to allocate funding for low cost, high incidence SEN,
they will still be required to give mainstream schools a notional SEN budget from the Schools
Block. This might be made up of funding from the basic per-pupil entitlement, deprivation
and low cost, high incidence SEN factors. It is from this notional budget that mainstream
schools will be expected to:

Meet the needs of pupils with low cost, high incidence SEN; and

Contribute, up to a certain level set by the local authority, towards the costs of
provision for pupils with high needs (including those with high cost, low incidence
SEN).”
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3.3
The notional SEN budget as part of the Authority’s Schools Block funding formula is calculated
as 8.3% of the basic per pupil funding factor (AWPU) and 12.0% of the deprivation funding.
This notional SEN Budget is the basis for the support schools are expected to provide under
the DFE funding arrangements and as defined by the Authority’s SEN descriptors, which can
be found at the following link:
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE DESCRIPTORS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
4
TRANSITIONAL TOP UP FUNDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR HIGH NEEDS LEARNERS WITH A
STATEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEED (SEN)
4.1
Where a child currently has a Statement of SEN, the authority will pay the top up funding
outlined below according to the level of need identified. This arrangement will continue until
current statements have been reviewed in line with the transition time table and statements
(where applicable) are transferred to Education, Health & Care Plans (EHC Plans). Funding of
EHC Plans is outlined in item 5 below. Where transitional top up funding applies, this will
continue until it can be reviewed in line with the implementation of the Resource Allocation
System also outlined in item 5 below.
Primary
Secondary
Level 1
Band D or up to 15
hours
£0
£0
Level 2
Band E or between 16
and 25 hours
£3,000
£2,100
Level 3
Band F or 26 hours and
over
£6,000
£5,250
4.2
As funding has been allocated for pupils covered by these transitional arrangements should a
child’s needs significantly change or cannot be met within the top up funding allocated, this
will need to be addressed via the SEN review process.
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5
FUNDING OF PUPILS WITH EDUCATION HEALTH & CARE PLANS
5.1
Where pupils have a finalised Education Health and Care Plan, the development of a Resource
Allocation System (RAS) is under consideration to provide an accurate and sustainable method
of funding, based on a model that supports the integration of health, social care and
educational assessment. It is anticipated that this will be implemented in 2015/16. In
recognition that EHC Plans will only be issued for children with the highest level of need (in
line with the eligibility criteria), there is no requirement for schools to apply to High Needs
Panel for funding. Interim arrangements, where the EHC Plan identities that additional funding
is required, will be based on either the High Needs Funding Levels described in 6.2 below or
special school top up funding rates in 13.9/13.10 below, in line with descriptor according to
assessed level of need and placement type. The allocation of funding levels will be moderated
regularly to ensure consistency. Funding of pupils via interim arrangements will continue until
they are reviewed in line with the implementation of the Resource Allocation System.
5.2
Should a child’s needs significantly change or cannot be met within the top up funding
allocated, this will need to be addressed via the EHC review process.
6
TOP-UP FUNDING – HIGH NEEDS PANEL
6.1
Where pupils are identified as having high needs but do not have a finalised statement or EHC
Plan, schools can apply to the High Needs Panel for top up funding where the cost of the
additional support for the pupil exceeds £6,000.
6.2
From April 2014 High Needs Panel top up funding amounts will be determined by the funding
levels in the table below. This arrangement has been introduced to improve consistency of
funding decisions by High Needs Panel so that similar funding levels are granted to support
pupils with similar levels of need.
Level 1
Level 2
£1,500
£3,000
Impact of need affects 50% to 60% school day
Impact of need affects 60% to 70% school day
Level 3
Level 4
£4,500
£6,000
Impact of need affects 70% to 80% school day
Exceptional impact of need
6.3
The top up funding level awarded, along with base funding, will fund all aspects of the
program of support to meet the pupils’ needs.
6.4
A new SEN Descriptors document will be published in September 2014, in line with the
Children & Families Act 2014.
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SCHOOLS REQUIRING A HIGH NEEDS TOP UP AS THE HIGH NEEDS ELEMENT 2 FUNDING
WITHIN THEIR FORMULA BUDGET HAS ALREADY BEEN SPENT
Where these requests are made the following calculations are undertaken
 Calculate total element 2 high needs funding (multiples of £6k or lower if band D etc
(pro-rata where part year)) utilised by school currently for statemented and high needs
pupils.
 Compare this to notional SEN funding in current year formula budget plus high needs
carry forward in schools SB1 form
 If additional high needs child element 2 cost will mean the schools notional SEN
allocation has been exceeded the high needs funding request for this child (if approved)
should be funded in full (i.e. with NO £6k deduction)
 If the request means the element 2 costs would still be below the notional SEN
allocation (plus high needs carry forward) there should be NO contribution to the
element 2 (£6k) part although the school may be entitled to a high needs element 3 top
up element only (if approved)
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HIGH NEEDS EARMARKED RESERVES/SCHOOL CARRY FORWARDS
8.1
Maintained schools can carry forward an amount of up to 20% of their notional SEN and high
needs allocations. Balances allocated to this line in the SB1 form will be outside any
calculations for the claw back of balances. Academies should also plan in a similar way where
possible.
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DATES FOR UPDATES OF SCHOOLS HIGH NEEDS FUNDING INFORMATION
9.1
Data to be submitted to the high needs funding team or data to be extracted from the
authority’s high needs records is planned to be as follows:
10
Area
Information collected or
updated
Funding amended
Special schools
Returns from special schools
October 14 and January 15
Nov 14 and Feb 15
SEN units and Resourced
Provision
October 14 information
downloaded from the
authority’s records, numbers
identified and any
adjustments to high needs
top ups identified
Nov/Dec 14
Mainstream SEN –
transitional arrangements –
band E and F
October 14 information
downloaded from the
authority’s records, numbers
identified and any
adjustments to high needs
top ups identified
Nov/Dec 14
POST 16 FE COLLEGES / CPPS’s / ISP’s / SCHOOLS
The three elements to high needs funding for Post 16 students who are not in special schools, are
Element 1 and 2 place funding and Element 3 top up funding.
10.1 Element 1 represents the funding that all students at the institution attract for their basic
programmes and Element 2 is the second component of place funding and provides £6,000 to
help meet the additional support costs for high needs students.
Both of these elements are funded directly from the EFA based on agreed numbers
commissioned by the Local Authority.
10.2 Element 3 top up funding is the funding required over and above place funding to enable a
student with high needs to participate in education and learning which is funded by the Local
Authority from the high needs block allocation.
For FE Colleges and CPP’s this is currently an allocation negotiated and agreed annually (Costs
exceeding £19,000 per student are agreed on an individual basis via application).
For ISP provision this is agreed on an individual basis via application.
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10.3 During the transition period there needs to be a degree of consistency with pre-16
arrangements and proposals for statemented pupils. Those students with existing SEN
statements will be protected from Year 12 into Year 13 prior to transition at age 19. The
arrangements outlined in this section will apply to Post 16 students.
10.4 For school students that are identified as having high needs, institutions can apply for top up
funding where the cost of the additional support is beyond the cost of elements 1 and 2 as set
out in 11.1 above an application to the high needs panel will need to be made.
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ALTERNATIVE PROVISION (AP)
11.1 Northamptonshire APs will be funded for:
a) Base funding of £8,000 per agreed planned place (as agreed between the Authority and
the EFA as part of the data checking process carried by the EFA), which will come directly
from the EFA for AP Academies; and
b) High needs top up funding
c) On the basis agreed with providers
11.2 Any high needs top up funding will reflect the period the pupil is educated by the AP on a
pro rata basis, including if the pupil is educated on a part time basis.
12 SEN UNITS AND RESOURCED PROVISION
12.1
All SEN Units and Resourced Provision will be funded from the High Needs Block and will
receive £10,000 per agreed place (as agreed between the Authority and the EFA as part of the
data checking process carried out by the EFA). Funding is based on 2013/14 place numbers to
August 2014 and for the period from September 2014 the place numbers for the 2014/15
academic year submitted to the EFA on 23 December 2013.
12.2 From September 2014 for pupils who attend a SEN Unit/Resourced Provision, a top up will be
applied of the mainstream transitional band E and F top up rates.
12.3 From April 15 it is anticipated that, for children attending a SEN Unit, high needs top up
funding will be based on a resource allocation system (RAS) with the required preparation
work starting in September 2014.
12.4 There are 4 primary units (Park, Croyland, Woodnewton and St James) dealing with pupils that
are either at risk of permanent exclusion or have been permanently excluded. The funding for
these will be predominantly through the place funding and any other relevant high needs
funding will be as specified in the SLA.
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13
SPECIAL SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES
Summary of the changes to the Special schools funding formula 2014-15
13.1 Simplify the matrix by moving from 10 to 5 categories from April 2014, see table below.
13.2 Remove the separate all through matrix top up rates for 2 schools (Billing Brook and
Maplefields).
13.3 The place funding of early years special school pupils reducing from 1 FTE to 0.6FTE from
September 2014 (reflecting the national entitlement to 15 hours free early years education) (
note - as reflected in the 2014-15 academic year place numbers submitted to the EFA)
13.4 Special schools place funding being fixed for 2014-15 based on initial 13-14 place numbers to
August 2014 and from September 2014 the numbers submitted to the EFA for 2014-15
academic year place numbers. (note adjustment for Billing Brook regarding pupils taken on
from The Grange)
13.5 Matrix top up payments made during the 2014-15 financial year reflecting the numbers and
matrix scores of pupils in each special school with reference to points 13.6 to 13.10 below.
13.6 Protection being applied in the 2014-15 financial year in accordance with the requirement
that no special school sees a reduction in per pupil top up funding of more than -1.5%.
13.7 Capping applied so that the 2014-15 average per pupil funding does not increase by greater
than 4.5% from 2013-14.
13.8 Changes to Matrix levels will be considered once per financial year. This means that the top up
funding for individual pupils included in the indicative budgets issued in March 2014 will not
be increased in the 2014-15 financial year even if the school increases a matrix score.
13.9 The Special school top up rates for 2014/15 are provided in the table below:
PA1
PA2
1,520
2,322
PB1
PB2
2,708
3,510
PC1
PC2
5,084
5,887
SA1
SA2
2,492
3,205
SB1
SB2
3,680
4,393
SC1
SC2
6,064
6,770
P=Primary
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PA3
3,935
PB3
5,123
PC3
7,500
SA3
4,784
SB3
5,972
SC3
8,349
PA4
9,297
PB4
10,485
PC4
12,861
SA4
10,760
SB4
11,948
SC4
14,324
PA5
16,886
PB5
18,074
PC5
20,450
SA5
17,858
SB5
19,046
SC5
21,430
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S=Secondary
13.10 The post 16 place funding is changing nationally from August 2014 to £10k per place.
The matrix top up rate for post 16 has been increased by £977 (see below), from August 2014,
to reflect this.
TA1
TA2
3,469
4,182
TB1
TB2
4,657
5,370
TC1
TC2
7,041
7,747
T=Post 16
TA3
5,761
TB3
6,949
TC3
9,326
TA4
11,737
TB4
12,925
TC4
15,301
TA5
18,835
TB5
20,023
TC5
22,407
13.11 It is anticipated that from April 2015 Special School Top Up will be via a resource allocation
system (RAS), with the required preparation work starting in September 2014.
14.
VISUALLY IMPAIRED PUPILS
14.1 Where schools have visually impaired pupils with a statement finalised by 31/3/13 the
available funding for each child will include:
a)
The first £6,000 from the school / academy budget as this is now delegated in the
schools block funding formula; and
b)
The top up funding for visually impaired pupils, which will be made available to
schools / academies where relevant where statements for these pupils have been
finalised prior to 1st April 2013. Should, exceptionally the high needs funding
become insufficient to meet need, then this will need to be addressed via the
statement review process.
c)
The sum of (a), (b) above less £3,000 will be recharged by the visual impairment
service to the school / academy to maintain the existing provision during 2014/15
14.2 The charging arrangements for visually impaired pupils introduced during 2013/14 (following
feedback from schools and discussions at Schools Forum on the 15 October 2013) will be
continued in 2014/15.
14.3 Visually impaired pupils without a statement or EHC Plan who require additional support over
that provided by the VI team will need to make an application to HN Funding Panel.
14.4 The VI and HI Review will be presented to Cabinet in October 2014. Any recommendations will
be implemented for the start of the academic year 2015.
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HEARING IMPAIRED PUPILS
15.1
2014/15 arrangements for mainstream hearing impaired pupils, who require communication
support workers, will continue to be met from the central high needs DSG budgets until the
outcome of the current HI and VI review is completed and implemented.
16
PERMANENT EXCLUSION CLAWBACKS
16.1 Following changes discussed at Schools Forum in July 2014 the clawback applied via the
schools transfers process to all primary, secondary and special schools who permanently
exclude a pupil is as follows:
a) Lump sum charge of £3,000 per pupil permanently excluded
b) AWPU deduction pro rata on the number of school weeks from the date of permanent
exclusion to the end of the local authority financial year (i.e 31 March)
17
PUPILS WHO ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OTHER LOCAL AUTHORITIES
17.1 Any top up funding in respect of out of county pupils that schools and academies are
educating will need to be agreed between the school / academy and the commissioning local
authority i.e. the placing local authority. For further information, please see the document
‘Top Up Funding – Pupils From Another Authority’ via the link below:
highneedsfundinginformation.aspx
17.2 It is recommended that the amount reimbursed will be the same as a pupil with similar needs
funded by NCC.
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CONTACT DETAILS HIGH NEEDS BUSINESS SUPPORT TEAM
Telephone: 01604 363636
Email: highneedsfunding@Northamptonshire.gov.uk
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