Priority 5: Repair SEND funding and support
The system for funding students with high needs is a specific area that requires immediate attention. The government should support a move to allocate all funding for students with high needs directly to institutions with increases in student numbers fully funded ‘in-year’. This is essential if we are to ensure that the most vulnerable students receive the support they need and receive it in a timely manner. The growth in SEND students that do not meet the high needs threshold is something that also must be addressed. The government should explore the introduction of a third disadvantage funding block specifically for these students.
- There has been a sharp increase in the number of students who enrol at colleges with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Most of these young people do not have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and do not meet the threshold for attracting additional ‘high needs’ funding. As a result, colleges do not receive any additional resource for providing the additional help and support they require.
- These students can have varied and complex needs, but they are not recognised by the current funding system which effectively treats students as having either high needs or no needs. The 16-19 funding formula has two disadvantage blocks that provide additional funding for students: one for those that live in an area of economic deprivation, the other for students with low prior attainment in GCSE English and maths.
- The government should introduce a third disadvantage block for SEND students who do not meet the threshold for high needs funding. As with the existing two disadvantage blocks, colleges and schools should have the flexibility to target this funding on the students and support activities that have the greatest impact.
- The current system for funding students that do meet the high needs threshold is underfunded and inconsistent. As a minimum, place funding per student (known as element 2 funding) should rise in line with inflation each year.
- When a college enrols more students with high needs than the number of places for which it has been funded, additional funding should be made available ‘in-year’ to meet the additional costs of delivery.
- Local authorities play a major role in high needs funding, but there is little consistency in approach, and some local authorities either refuse or are unable to make top up funding (known as element 3 funding) available to colleges. A new approach is needed to ensure all high needs students receive the support they need in a timely manner.