Consultation on Top-Up Funding

This consultation is now closed. The original text is kept here, 'for the record'.

Please read our proposals about extra ('Top Up') funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities, and let us know your views using this accessible online questionnaire.

If you have any questions about this consultation or if you need the materials in another format, please contact our Head of Learning and Achievement by email at jacqui.scott@n.somerset.gov.uk or by phone on 07385 978 753.

Here in North Somerset, we need to look at the way that we allocate Top Up Funding (TUF). We have fewer children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) than other local authorities yet allocate more TUF than we can reasonably afford from the high needs block. We are proposing a model where children receive Top Up Funding as part of an EHCP only. This means that we are likely to have more EHCPs. It also means that some children should have their needs met by the school using existing provision, not through the allocation of additional resource. We have given thought to ensuring that children don’t lose out, if we move to a slightly different system of allocation. 

This consultation gives the broad overview of what we think would work and why. Behind this sits the consultant’s report where you can find more detailed analysis and comparisons of how TUF is used in other local authorities.