1. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE NEW CHILDREN AND FAMILIES BILL
Alison Farmer
Tri-borough Assistant Director for SEN & Vulnerable Children

2. Changes to funding for High Needs Students (HNS) – 0-25 years
From 2012/13 children with SEN have provision funded in accordance with the new Schools Funding arrangements.
The introduction of the High Needs Block model of funding and the Children and Families Bill, specifically the duty to publish a Local Offer for children with SEN by schools and the LA, are intended to provide greater transparency and accountability.
There is a financial risk to High Needs Block funding associated with the new legislation and the raised expectation of parents for education funding for students 16 – 25 years.

3. Funding model for SEN in Mainstream schools
Pupils with additional needs up to PPE + 6k
Pupils with no additional needs
Pupils with additional needs up to delegated threshold?
Pupils with additional needs above delegated threshold – band 1?
Pupils with additional needs above delegated threshold – band 2?
AWPU or Per pupil entitlement (PPE)
£6k from notional SEN budget
DSG – Schools Block
HNB funding delegated? (by formula? £value?)
HNB top-up – band 1 ? (£value)
HNB top-up – band 2? (£value)
DSG – High Needs Block
Funding received in the school’s budget
Funded received in addition to the school’s budget
Element 1 Element Element Element Element 5

4. Funding flows for providers
The diagrams in this section reflect the explanations of funding for different types of providers set out in Annex 5C of School Funding Reform: Next steps towards a fairer system.

5. Funding flow: Placement in a mainstream school / Academy
EFA
EFA
Maintaining local authority
Local authority
Schools Block
Early Years Block
High Needs Block
Schools Block
Early Years Block
High Needs Block
Element 1
Element 2
Element 3
Element 1
Element 2
Element 3
Mainstream maintained school
Mainstream Academy
In the example of the maintained school above, the maintaining local authority is also the commissioning local authority.
The funding for elements 1 and 2 received by mainstream maintained schools and Academies would include separate allocations for pre-16 pupils and post-16 pupils. For maintained schools, these would be passported through the maintaining local authority. For Academies, this would be received direct from the EFA – there is a misprint in the document and we apologise for any confusion (p.82). Top-up funding above this level would be provided from the commissioning local authority, using their High Needs Block.

6. Funding flow: Placement in a maintained special school (1)
EFA
Local authority
Schools Block
Early Years Block
High Needs Block
Maintained special school
Element 1
Element 2
Element 3
This diagram represents the funding flow for a maintained special school in instances where the maintaining local authority is also the commissioning local authority – for example, where a local authority is placing a high needs pupil in a special school that it maintains.
For the special school, elements 1 and 2 of its funding (£10,000 per place pre-16, national funding formula plus £6,000 post-16) would be passported through the maintaining local authority as part of a separate place-led allocation within the authority’s High Needs Block (see section ).
The school would then receive top-up funding from the commissioning local authority, from the authority’s High Needs Block.
The diagram would also represent the funding flow for special units / resourced provision in mainstream maintained schools.
Place-led funding
Pupil-led funding

7. Children and Families Bill – key issues for local authorities and schools
The new legislation signals a different approach to working with parents of children with SEN, moving from administration to key-working.
The change in approach requires greater transparency and accountability to parents, with the expectation that parents are treated as equal partners in decision-making about their child’s assessment and the resources for the child’s plan.
The new model of Education, Health and Care Planning is focused on outcomes the single assessment takes place over 20 weeks (statutory assessment is 26 weeks).
Schools will be expected to meet with parents of HNS termly to share attainment and well-being outcomes and plan.