This money comes from the Schools block of the Designated Schools Grant (DGS).

Schools, academies and free schools all have an amount identified within their overall budget, called the notional SEN budget. This is an additional amount of money to the element 1 (AWPU) which is used for SEND provision that is ‘additional to and different from’ the provision made for all pupils. This money is provided directly to schools and academies alongside their AWPU money. It is referred to as ‘notional’ because it is a suggested amount and is not ring-fenced.

The formula used in Torbay is 5% of the Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) + 50% of deprivation (Free School Meals (FSM) and Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI)) budget +100% of the Low Attainment budget = Notional SEN Budget

Pupils with SEND have very varied needs therefore the amount of funding needed to meet these needs will be different for each pupil. The government has recommended schools use the notional SEN budget to pay for up to £6,000 worth of special educational provision to meet a child’s SEND, but the majority pupils at SEND support can have their needs met for much less than this.

Schools should use their SEND funding to pay for things like:

• Specialist training/equipment
• Securing external professional advice and guidance
• Additional staffing for pupils who require elements of their support within small groups or 1:1

To find out how your child’s school use their SEND money, have a look at your child’s schools SEN Information report.

A school must use its ‘best endeavours’ [do all it possibly can] to meet the needs of pupils at SEND support using element 1 and 2 funding. School provision must be based on an ‘assess, plan, do, review’ cycle implemented in partnership with the pupil and their family. Sometimes the provision may target a pupil, but often shared provision is more preferable and meets the pupil’s needs best. For example, group work is very important when developing language and social skills.

More information about the provision that schools are expected to make for pupils at SEND support can be found in the SEND Code of Practice 0-25 p 99 – 107.

Some pupils with SEND will also be eligible for additional funding from:

• Pupil premium – a grant given by the government to schools in England to decrease the attainment gap for the most disadvantaged children, whether by income or by family upheaval.