West Northamptonshire Council: SEND Funding Recommendations

Overview

West Northamptonshire Council Children and Young People’s Services are looking to gather feedback on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) funding recommendations. This makes up a final stage of consultation before the WNC SEND funding changes in September 2024.

Background

The council supports children and young people up to the age of 25 with SEND. Education settings (early years settings, mainstream schools, SEND units within mainstream schools and further education settings) are provided with funding to provide additional support, based on the complexity of the needs of children and young people with SEND. For those up to the age of 18 this is irrespective of whether they have an Education, Health Care Plan or not, and those over 19 are only funded if there is an Education, Health Care Plan in place. 

Local authorities must ensure that children and young people, their parents/carers and their education settings are involved in discussions and decisions about their individual support and local provision.

A new funding framework is required to enable West Northamptonshire Council to allocate funds to schools, colleges, resource units and early years settings in a fairer, more consistent, timely and transparent way which is based on the needs of children and young people.

In September 2022, WNC established a SEND Funding Steering Group to review and a create a funding framework for SEND funding for educational settings. Representatives from educational settings (schools, colleges, SEND units and early years), SENCOs (Special Educational Needs Coordinators), parent/carer forum groups were part of the steering group. Additional educational sub-groups were also set up to create more detailed reviews for the early years, mainstream schools and further education sectors.

During September 2023 we asked people, including educational establishments their views on the way that we provide funding for those with SEND across all education settings, and also on the methodology, so that we could ensure funding for those in all educational settings with SEND is fairly and transparently allocated. We are recommending the implementation of SEND funding systems which will align the level of need with a rate of funding. Meaning the higher the need, the higher the funding rate. We think that this is fair and consistent.

How much money an education setting gets for SEND funding depends on several factors. The way in which the educational setting spends this money will vary according to the needs of its children. This consultation is about the sustainable and operational allocation of funding from West Northamptonshire to educational settings and the principals which govern that allocation.

We are completing this final stage of consultation on the SEND Funding Recommendations as provided in the following document.

View the SEND Funding Recommendations (PDF 104KB, opens in a new window)

What happens next?

The feedback from this will be considered, summarised and presented at West Northamptonshire Schools Forum on 2 July 2024. Further adjustments to funding arrangements may then be made within the framework of the WNC approved budgets ahead of implementation on 1 September 2024. Final arrangements will be published on the WNC website and via the WNC Local Offer.

To support the SEND Funding changes to processes, administration documents and funding levels, frequently asked question documents (FAQs) will be created and will be made available to access on our website from 1 September 2024.

How to provide your views  

We are seeking the views of representatives of education settings, related forums, members of the public, parents and carers and any other interested parties.

Your feedback will be part of a report with other people’s feedback, this survey is anonymous and you will not be personally identified.

We welcome views on SEND funding and invite comments through an online survey which can be accessed below. Alternatively you can write to us at:

• Funding for SEND
• West Northamptonshire Council
• The Guildhall 
• St Giles' Street
• Northampton
• NN1 1DE

For further information, if you have any questions, if you have difficulties accessing the consultation, or would like a copy of this questionnaire in another format please contact Andy Pymm.

This consultation closes at midnight Sunday 2 June 2024.

For further detail of how we handle data please see the consultation and engagement privacy notice.