Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of local authority attempts to introduce banding frameworks for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Many local authorities have systems which indicate the range of top-up funding that might be provided for children and young people with a particular type and complexity of need, sometimes referred to as ‘banding frameworks’. These can help determine levels of high needs top-up funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. A system which agrees likely levels of top-up funding in advance can also be an efficient, clear and transparent way of allocating funding.

The department has published guidance on how local authorities should allocate this funding. Section 7.4 of the high needs funding operational guidance sets out that top-up funding can reflect the costs of provision for a cohort of pupils at or within a school or college. The operational guidance is available on GOV.UK.

Funding does not need to be tied to the detailed provision that may be required or which is specified in education, health and care (EHC) plans, since schools and colleges have flexibility in deploying resources.

The local authority must be satisfied, however, that the final allocation of funding (both the top-up funding and other elements of funding) is sufficient to secure suitable provision for example, as outlined in an EHC plan.