For most children in mainstream schools, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities, money is allocated to them through the school budget. This section explains the various strands that make up additional educational needs funding.
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Element 1 Funding/AWPU/Basic Entitlement
This is the amount funded per pupil. This funding supports all learning and will be used for staff salaries – including the SENCO role, buildings, resources etc. A percentage of this should be spent on supporting SEN(AEN) pupils. This funding is in the schools block and is allocated directly to schools. Devon would expect to see schools using at least 5% of AWPU funding in their SEN Budget and this sits within the ‘Notional SEN budget’.
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Element 2 Funding
Additional Education Needs AEN
For pupils aged 5-15 years in mainstream schools a notional SEN amount will be shown in the school’s budget share (see AEN Funding tab on SBS calculator), this is an indicative amount that schools may set aside for pupils with SEND and is funded from the Schools block.
Notional SEN budget is based on the following factors:
- Free school meals
- Looked-after children
- Prior attainment
- English as an additional language (an element of this)
- IDACI (Devon agreed factor).
It is not based on the number of pupils a school has identified as having a SEN.
The Notional SEN budget should fund:
- Meet the needs of pupils with low cost, high incidence SEN (also referred to as additional educational need)
- Contribute to the first £6,000 of the costs of provision for pupils with high needs (not all pupils with SEN will require this amount)
From this, schools must provide a standard offer of teaching and learning for all pupils, including those with ‘predictable’ high needs, to enable them to access the school’s teaching and learning offer.
Deprivation Funding
This is part of the AEN funding but does not form part of the Notional SEN budget. There is an expectation that deprivation funding would be used to contribute towards actual free school meals, together with the Universal FSM funding primary schools receive.
Low Cost High Incidence (LCHI)
The LCHI SEN part of element 2 within the school budget share will be paid to schools within their school budget share regardless of actual statemented pupils. There is an expectation that each school shall have at least £5,000 available for LCHI SEN. For those schools where the formula does not deliver the £5,000 within their school budget share, the Local Authority will top up the schools funding out of the high needs block to achieve the minimum of £5,000.
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Element 2: Targeted Funding
Individual Assigned Resource (IAR)
The IAR within the school budget share will be paid to schools regardless of actual pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP). There is an expectation that each school shall have at least £6,000 available for IAR SEN.
Element 2 Shortfalls
Where the recognised demand from EHCPs on the IAR funding exceeds funding available, this will be addressed from the High Needs block, without the need for application.
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Element 3: Top-Up Funding
This is allocated to individual names children with an EHCP comes from the High Needs Block and the level of funding attached to EHCPs’ based on SEND Provision descriptors (See link to SEN Funding on the service page). Funding is calculated and paid monthly.