Management Information Sheet

Fair Funding Consultation 2009 (SEN) - Additional Proposal for Your Response

MI Sheet TypeAction
To Be Completed By: 17/12/2009
MI Number:232/09
Publication Date:28/11/2009
LA Contact:Marilyn Attwood (01603 223546)
Audience:Headteachers & Chair of Governors (All Norfolk Schools)
Links:http://www.schools.norfolk.gov.uk/page_75.cfm

Fair Funding Consultation 2009 (SEN) - Additional Proposal for Your Response

Scheme for Financing Schools

Proposed Changes 2010/11

Special Educational Needs

1. As explained in MI Sheet 181/09 the local authority is consulting on proposed changes to the School Specific Special Educational Needs funding methodology.

2. The consultation circulated to all schools on Thursday 1st October 2009 contained four alternative options (excluding retaining the status quo).

3. As part of the consultation process three consultation meetings have been held and the feedback from each of these meetings was that a revised distribution methodology based on School Action Plus data was flawed.

4. Arguments made against using School Action Plus as the sole distribution factor included

  • schools adopt differing practices in recording School Action Plus
  • schools are limited in recording students on School Action Plus because of constraint by external agency resources
  • schools organise differently and some use internal resources to avoid the need for recording pupils as School Action Plus
  • schools could manipulate the data to obtain additional funding
  • schools might devote resources to maximise pupils at School Action Plus to maximise the level of funding received.

    5. At the second and third consultation meeting a fifth proposal was outlined and tested as to its acceptability with the meeting.

    6. This fifth option is based on the principle that School Action Plus is an indication of actual need but because of the factors set out in paragraph 4 above should not be the only factor used in the funding distribution process.

    7. The fifth option takes the status quo, amends it and reflects the impact the revised Pupil Specific funding methodology has, moves funding to support early intervention, and adds School Action Plus as a third indicator of need.

    8. The fifth option for School Specific Special Educational Needs has three components

  • prior attainment
  • social deprivation
  • School Action Plus
    9. The methodology of this fifth option is

  • Keep the current prior attainment indicators, substituting Key stage 2 for Key Stage 3 data as this is no longer available. (50% of budget)

    Amend the split for prior attainment to 70% for one level below and 30% for more than one level below. This is because:

    a) Encourages early intervention.
    b) The majority of children two levels below have high level statements, so under the new system will be fully funded. Attributing 50% to these children is double funding.

  • No change to allocation or factor for social deprivation (30% of budget)
  • Include School Action Plus as an additional factor (20% of budget)

    An additional technical paper is now available online at:
    www.schools.norfolk.gov.uk.
    10. We have also amended the website by adding this fifth proposal which requires a separate response. We would welcome your views on this proposal - even if you have already responded to the original proposals.
    The revised response form can be found at:
    www.schools.norfolk.gov.uk.