Funding for special educational needs and disabilities in school settings
Most children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will have the support that they need from within the school or educational setting’s budgets.
There are 3 levels of education support for children and young people with special educational needs. These are called ‘elements’ of funding by the government.
Level 1 funding
Level 1 funding makes provision for every child or young person enrolled in an early years setting, school or college. It pays for things such as school buildings and class teachers.
Level 2 funding
Level 2 funding, sometimes known as delegated funding, is part of a school's budget. This portion of their budget is reserved for children with additional needs, including SEND.
Mainstream schools and colleges can spend up to £6,000 on each child with additional needs. Schools can use this to provide early intervention support, including, small group or individual support or special equipment. Delegated funding can be used for any pupil, no matter where they live.
Level 3 funding
If a child or young person with SEND has been receiving early intervention support but is still not making sufficient progress, it is possible that they will need to access level 3 funding. This is sometimes known as top-up funding.
There is more information about top-up funding in the sections below.
The High Needs Block
The High Needs Block is government funding for young people aged 0 to 25 with more complex educational needs within an educational setting.
The High Needs Block funds top-up funding for any child or young person and comes from the borough where that child lives. Camden’s High Needs Block funds special schools and some specialist services in Camden. Plus, any extra provision made for Camden children who attend a school or setting outside Camden. Camden has devolved some level 3 funding into our mainstream school budgets already. This is to support Camden residents when they need it without having to request top-up funding.
Educational settings can access support services such as health therapies, teaching support teams, and family work. They do not need to fund this themselves. Each service will make its own assessment that determines the level of support offered.
Top-up funding for children in early years settings
A child may need more support than is ordinarily available in an educational setting, including school nurseries. In these instances, the setting will apply to the borough where the child lives for additional funding.
If the child lives in Camden, the setting will apply for Camden Local Inclusion Funding (CLIF). In Camden, we have added top-up funding to CLIF so that settings can get the support they need for a child through CLIF.
We also employ specialist teachers to work in educational settings. This includes private, voluntary, and independent settings and school nurseries. This is to make sure that educational settings can meet more complex needs without having to request an Education, Health, and Care needs assessment.
In exceptional circumstances, for example, where a child is likely to be placed in a special school when they reach Reception, the setting is likely to request an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.
A child may live in another Local Authority and attend a Camden educational setting. In this instance, the educational setting will need to contact that borough to find out what funding is available.
Top-up funding in Camden's mainstream schools
Top-up funding in Camden's mainstream schools depends if a child lives in or outside of Camden.
When a child lives outside of Camden and attends a Camden school
If a child lives outside of Camden, provision can be made by the setting that costs up to £6,000.
If a child needs a higher level of provision than is ordinarily available, the Camden school will request High Needs Block top-up funding from the borough where they live. This is usually through requesting an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.
When a child lives in Camden and attends a Camden school
If a child lives in Camden and needs a higher level of provision than is ordinarily available, we have made more funding available in our schools. Camden Council has already provided top-up funding in our primary and secondary schools so they have more than the first £6,000 to make provision. This includes free schools and academies.
This allows schools to make ordinarily available provision costing up to £11,000 for Camden resident pupils, when it is needed. This is without the need to access top-up funding through an Exceptional Needs Grant (ENG) or EHC plan.
The amount of top-up might increase or decrease over time, for example, if a child’s needs change, or they go to a different type of school or setting.
Schools publish the support that they provide from within their budgets. You can find this information in their SEN Information Report.
Exceptional Need Grants (ENG) in Camden's mainstream schools
Since 2018, we have provided Camden mainstream primary and secondary schools with top-up funding for individual children and young people through an Exceptional Needs Grant, or ENG. This is a faster alternative to EHC plans. An ENG is only available for children who live in Camden, because all top-up funding is for that borough’s residents.
Evidence may show that a child’s needs are exceptional. This means their needs cannot be met within the level 2 funding and devolved level 3 top-up already in the school’s budget. In these instances, we have a system of funding the additional support through an ENG.
An ENG has the same thresholds and same level of funding as an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The process is faster and easier, and funding starts from the day the ENG was agreed. In Camden, we currently have 2 bands of funding through an ENG just as we do for an EHCP.
Special educational needs and disability coordinators (SENDCos) from all Camden schools participate in 5 Cluster Inclusion Forums across the borough. This is together with senior SEN Officers, Educational Psychologists, and Early Help managers. This may include other health and care professionals. The Cluster Inclusion Forums meet each half-term to consider requests for an ENG.
Schools can make requests for funding to deliver specific interventions. This needs parent or carer agreement to make the request just as they do for an EHC needs assessment. Most funding is agreed for 1 or 2 years but it can be up to the end of primary or secondary school. It can be extended as many times as it is still needed to deliver the interventions a child needs.
If your child lives in Camden but attends school in another borough
When it is agreed a child who lives in Camden needs top-up funding, it will come from Camden’s High Needs Block regardless of where they attend school.
If the evidence shows that:
- a child needs more support than can be made through what is ordinarily available
- the school has demonstrated how they have used devolved funding
the school can make a request to Camden Local Authority for an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.
Funding in special schools
Special schools are funded in a different way than mainstream schools. We fund an agreed number of places, and there is a top-up amount set for each place that is filled. There is no level 1 or level 2 funding like there is in mainstream schools.
Top-up funding for young people in further education
Many young people attending further education who had additional support in school no longer need the same level of extra help when they attend college.
This is because:
- the course might be better suited to their interests and abilities
- the hours of study are likely to be shorter
- the delegated funding available in college is often sufficient to provide the support they need
However, if the evidence shows that:
- a young person needs more provision than can be made through what is ordinarily available
- the college has demonstrated how they have used devolved funding
the college can make a request to Camden for funding.
This does not have to be an Education, Health and Care needs assessment as we have a system of funding requests from further education colleges.
Funding for young people with SEND in universities
Universities have their own funding arrangements for those young people needing additional support. The Local Authority’s SEN team are no longer involved once young people leave school or further education college.
Funding for Education, Health, and Care plans
When the Local Authority has agreed to issue an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, it will describe what resources are attached to the plan. This may include additional money on top of the school’s budget, or level 3 ‘top-up’ funding. This is funding allocated to the school for a named individual child or young person.
An EHC plan has the same thresholds and the same level of funding as an ENG, but funding is determined when an EHC plan is issued. In Camden, we currently have 2 bands of funding through an EHC plan, just as we do for an ENG. Find out more about EHC plans.
The levels of top-up funding if agreed in an EHC plan are the same as those for an Exceptional Needs Grant (ENG).
More information about funding
For more information or if you have any questions, please speak to:
- your child's school SENDCO
- SENDIASS for further advice