Pre-16 age funding in SEN in mainstream/ academy school:

Element 1 (Core education funding)

Universal funding - Age-weighted pupil unit (AWPU)

Is the amount of money that every school receives for each pupil that is on the school roll, whether or not they have SEN.

Element 2 (Additional support funding)

Targeted funding - Notional SEN budget

Contribution of £6,000 to additional support required by a pupil with high needs, from the notional SEN budget. This is funding received by all schools and is based on a national funding formula. Schools are required to use up to £6000 of their budget per pupil to meet the needs of children with SEN. This doesn't mean that they have to spend £6000 on every pupil with SEN but should identify the provision required as part of their graduated approach to meeting need.

Element 3 (Top up funding)

Targeted/specialist funding

Top-up funding from 'High Needs Block'. The High Needs Block comes from the government to the local authority and can only be used to fund the education provision of children who have a ‘high’ level of need.

This is funding to meet the needs of individual pupils with EHC Plans. This is in addition to elements 1 and 2. The local authority is responsible for allocating this funding to schools for children with EHCP plans. This is to meet the needs of children with complex or significant SEN whose needs can't be met through elements 1 and 2 alone.

Pre-16 age funding in Maintained Special schools, Specialist academies and Alternative Provision 

Base funding

Special schools and specialist academies receive £10,000 and Alternative Provision (AP) receive £8000 per commissioned place. This is paid from the 'High Needs Block' of funding that is allocated to each local authority. Local authorities must determine the number of commissioned places that are required each year.

Top-up funding

This is funding allocated on a per pupil basis to meet individual needs of pupils. Top up funding is allocated by using a banding criteria which takes into account a range of needs. Top up values will vary across settings.

Post 16 age funding in all settings for Special Educational Needs

Element 1 (Core education funding)

Mainstream per-student funding (as calculated by the national 16-19 funding system)

Element 2 (Additional support funding)

Contribution of £6,000 to additional support required by a student with high need by Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Element 3 (Top up funding)

This is funding allocated on a per pupil basis to meet individual needs of pupils.