High needs funding arrangements: 2014 to 2015 Briefing for academies Russell Ewens Funding Policy Unit.

High needs funding arrangements: 2014 to 2015Briefing for academies

Russell Ewens

Funding Policy Unit

Knowing about the high needs changes in 2014 to 2015

Understanding the place review process

Understanding the impact on your academy

High needs priorities for academies

Context for 2014 to 2015 changes

2nd year of new funding system

High needs funding one element of wider funding reforms

School funding reforms – the £6K threshold

Places review co-ordinated by local authorities

Impact on different academies

• £6K threshold and the local formula

Mainstream academy without a designated special unit and no sixth form

• £6K threshold and the places review

Mainstream academy with a designated special unit and/or sixth form

• Place review only

Special and AP academies

• Continuing discussions with local authorities on top up funding

All academies

SEN reforms in Children and Families Bill

New Education, Health and Care Plans

Local authorities publish their offer of services to support

SEND

New system due to come into effect from September 2014 –

which funding system is designed to support

About the places review

Place funding around 1/3 of high needs funding outside

mainstream school budgets

Local authorities leading a review of the distribution of

place funding

Important for special and AP academies and mainstream

academies with special units and/or sixth forms

Focus on actual placements in the 2013 to 2014 academic

year

Places review timeline

Date Event

July 2013 Initial information published LAs received data

September- October 2013

Briefings to LAs on high needs arrangements

October- 23 December 2013

LAs review high needs places in collaboration with institutions

January 2014 onwards

EFA calculate allocations to LAs and institutions

£6K threshold

From 2014 funding delegated through local formula to allow

schools to meet special needs costs up to £6k

EFA will help LAs finding transition difficult

Scope for additional funding to be given where local

formula does not target enough money

Academies and LAs discuss additional funding need and

distribution criteria

Role of local authoritiesLo

cal A

utho

rity

Prime responsibility for planning and funding high needs provision

Working with academies, schools and schools forum

Work with institutions and other LAs to review distribution of places

Embed other aspects of high needs funding and SEN reforms

Review and confirm individual pupil/student placements and associated top-up funding

Role of the Education Funding AgencyE

du

cati

on

Fu

nd

ing

Ag

en

cy

Support LAs on high needs funding issues

Support LAs’ places review activity

Consider submissions from LAs and institutions’ exceptional cases

Provide final DSG allocations to LAs and other funding allocations to institutions, including

academies

For academies, high needs place funding will be in funding allocation (FAP)

Role of institutionsIn

stit

uti

on

s

Get involved in places review activity with LAs commissioning places

Accurately complete the school census in October

Check the Funding Allocation Pack (FAP) when it is issued

NB institutions do not need to return any other data

High needs budget issues

Local authority allocations remain cash flat per pupil in

2014 to 2015

National Fair Funding Formula to be introduced in 2015

Cannot assume more funds available in 2014 to 2105

Place number increases should be rare as otherwise

unaffordable

What to expect in the next 4 months

Date Event

October - December

To be contacted by LAs about current levels of all high needs places, including those commissioned by other LAs

Mid February To see your high needs place funding allocation in your FAP, and the local formula budget share for mainstream academies (including notional SEN budget)

Other online events

Presentations:

- Pre-16 Funding

- Post 16 funding

- High needs for local authorities

Webinars

- High needs for academies (20 November)

- Funding for Free Schools, University Technology Colleges and

Studio Schools (25 November)

- To register for a webinar, please follow this link:

- https://registration.livegroup.co.uk/academyfunding/

• Funding guidance available on the DfE website and Resources tab of

the Live Group portal (https://

registration.livegroup.co.uk/academyfunding/)

• Academy enquiries can be addressed to

[email protected]

• Responses on the Feedback tab of the Live Group portal

Further information