This leaflet explains how LA maintained mainstream nursery, primary and secondary schools including those with on-site nurseries are funded to help all pupils with special educational needs.
You may find it helpful to read this leaflet alongside information about the new Code of Practice (November 2001), which can be obtained from;
DFES Publications
PO Box 5050
Sherwood Park
Annesley
Nottinghamshire
NG15 0DJ
0845 6022260
dfes@prolog.uk.com
www.dfes.gov.uk
Funding Arrangements for Pupils in Mainstream Schools 
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Facts and Figures
There are about 96,000 pupils in Devon maintained mainstream nursery, primary, secondary and special schools .In June 2002 there were 3,400 pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs. The majority,2,258 of these, attended mainstream schools.
Financial Background
The money Devon spends on education comes in part as a grant from Central Government. The rest is raised through local Council taxes. Central Government has directed all Local Authorities (LAs)to allocate about 87%of this budget to schools. The remainder is spent on other areas such as school transport and management support for schools.
Devon schools decide independently how money should be spent although the National Curriculum must be delivered.
How money is shared between schools
Each school receives a set amount per pupil per year. This amount varies according to the age of the pupils and is referred to as the ‘Age Weighted Pupil Unit ’ --‘the AWPU ’.
AGE WEIGHTED PUPIL UNIT (AWPU).
Every school is expected to make provision for pupils with special educational needs. Funds available in this way will normally be used in some or all of the following ways:
ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS (AEN).
Some schools are given additional funds because they have a higher number of children who have social needs. For example they may have more behavioural and learning difficulties than the average. These addition- all funds are shared through a formula agreed with the schools.
These resources enable a school to extend the range of provision for pupils with Statements and who are receiving provision at School Action Plus.
DETAILED ARRANGEMENTS (DA).
All secondary and primary schools now receive additional resources each year for children with high incidence special educational needs, for example, dyslexia, general learning difficulties and mild behavioural difficulties. This money is given to schools on the basis of a formula that takes into account the numbers of pupils in the school, the attainment levels of all pupils and social factors.
These resources enable schools to make provision for pupils with Statements and who are receiving pro- vision at School Action Plus.
EXCEPTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS (EA).
For those pupils who have exceptional special educational needs, for example visual/hearing impairments, significant learning difficulties, profound and multiple learning difficulties, physical difficulties, communication difficulties ,medical conditions and extreme behavioural difficulties, an additional ‘top up’ allocation of resources may be given for pupils who have a Statement of Special Educational Needs.
This additional delegated funding is most commonly used to provide individual learning support assistance and/or to enable a child to manage a physical or medical circumstance.
These delegated resources are allocated by a panel made up of Headteachers, representatives from the Support and Advisory Teacher Service and Health as well as the Educational Psychology Service and officers of the County Special Education Team (CSET)who meet regularly to decide the level of support to be allocated to individual children. This is known as the Statementing Resources Panel (SRP).Information about each pupil is considered very carefully so as to ensure that pupils have an appropriate level of support and that resources are shared fairly and equitably between mainstream schools across Devon.
SEN STANDARDS FUNDS.
Some schools have been allocated additional funds (Standards Funds) to be used for pupil retention and training for learning support assistants.
County Special Education Team
Devon County Council
Bradninch Hall
Castle Street
Exeter
EX4 3PJ
01392 383900
Parent Partnership
| Teignbridge | Liz Batchelor | 01803 527849 |
| Mid Devon | Cathy Butland | 01566 784986 |
| North Devon | Cathrine Beckett | 01271 817264 |
| Exeter | Peter Holman | 01626 364128 |
| East Devon | Angela Pulman | 01395 445096 |
If you require this leaflet in another language or in large print, please telephone one of the contact numbers provided.
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