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Dear colleagues

Welcome to our first monthly update from SEND and Inclusion! These updates aim to bring schools the latest developments, essential information, guidance, and requests for collaborative support.

This monthly update is designed to complement the weekly School Noticeboard, published every Thursday afternoon during term time. By staying informed through both the noticeboard and this update, schools will be well-equipped with the latest high-level SEND and Inclusion communications, enabling them to respond promptly to important calls to action.

We hope you find these updates both helpful and informative. Your feedback is always welcome as we strive to provide the most relevant and valuable content for your needs.

Today's update includes information on: 

• High Needs Fund Underspend
• SEND Funding for Mainstream Schools
• Delivering Better Value Programme
• Invitation to observe SEND Panel Meetings

For any queries or requests for additional information, please use the direct contact details provided with each article.

Thank you for your continued support and for your dedication to our children, young people and families.

With best wishes

Helen

Helen Ellis - Director of SEND and Inclusion

High Needs Fund Underspend

The surplus in the high needs fund is confirmed at £38 million. However, it is important to clarify that there are strict conditions attached to the grant, and high needs funds cannot be used to cover school deficits.

Several factors have contributed to this reserve being built up over the past few years:

• A review of payments in 2023-24 from the high needs block has resulted in some services being correctly charged to the General Fund.
• Contingencies have been held back in preparation to support the Delivering Better Value Programme, as reported to the Schools Forum in April 2023.

The surplus will be used in the following ways to benefit children with SEND in Birmingham:

• The Delivering Better Value Programme has a workstream focused on funding SEND children in Birmingham. This will produce a solid funding framework that is clear, transparent, sustainable, and affordable.
• We are reviewing other services, such as alternative provision, transitions to adulthood, and support for children in care with complex learning needs, which have historically not been appropriately funded.
• We are also addressing future demand for SEND services, which is expected to increase over the medium term. Currently, there are 12,108 children with EHCPs, and this number continues to grow.
• We are reviewing our commissioned places in both mainstream school resource bases and special schools to ensure children are placed in the most appropriate settings, which will have cost implications.

For any queries or further information please contact the team at: HNBDSGFinance@birmingham.gov.uk

SEND Funding for Mainstream Schools

We provided a SEND Funding Update for mainstream schools on 12 December 2024. This related to an across the board increase to support unit funding and a more targeted increase in funding for pupils with EHCPs where a change of placement to a special school is required. This communication was followed up with an individual email seeking a data return to those schools where we have records of pupils awaiting a change of placement in order to ensure that the increased funding for eligible pupils could be accurately applied. The email was headed: SEND Funding Update and was sent out to school enquiry email addresses.  

We have received only a partial response and would be grateful if you could check if you have received this email and submit a response. If you have not received an individual communication but consider that you have pupils with an agreed need for a change in placement type, please contact candfsendqualityandimprovement@birmingham.gov.uk, cc’ing SENAR.Commissioning@birmingham.gov.uk.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

REMINDER: SEND Funding Update issued on 12 December 2024

We are currently working hard to increase numbers of resource base and special school places via our SEND Sufficiency Strategy 2024-2030. This strategy is designed to reduce the number of CYP in mainstream schools that are awaiting more specialist placements and require additional funding as a result. We are also considering long-term funding arrangements for all schools via our ongoing DBV programme workstreams which will review overall resource allocation mechanisms and funding levels. In the meantime, we would like to increase funding to mainstream schools on an interim basis pending the outcome of that work.

This update is to notify you of two specific changes to funding for SEND pupils in mainstream schools. These are:

1. An across the board increase of 3.4% on all support units (currently awarded to pupils with SSPPs and EHCPs) backdated to April 2024. The new funding rates are as follows and will be consolidated in the rates payable from 2025 onwards:

	23/24	24/25
Support Unit 1	525	543
Support Unit 2	1,260	1,303
Support Unit 3	3,150	3,258
Support Unit 4	5,040	5,212
Support Unit 5	7,875	8,143
Support Unit 6	12,600	13,029
Support Unit 6+	19,600	20,267

2. An increase in funding to mainstream schools for those pupils they have on roll with EHCPs, who are currently receiving the maximum support unit funding (6+) and where the LA’s SEN Panel has determined that a change of placement to a special school is required. This increase is based on an average cost of a teaching assistant (0.8 FTE at midpoint of GR3 which equates to £32,102 including pay award and oncosts – with school contributing the first £6,000 via their notional SEN budget). The funding for these pupils will, therefore, amount to a new maximum funding figure of £26,102.    

While the 3.4% increase outlined above will be automatically applied to all eligible pupils (payment to be made in January 2025), we are also writing out individually to those schools where we have records of pupils awaiting a change of placement in order to ensure that our data is complete and accurate before applying the increased funding for these pupils. The schools concerned will be asked to complete a template spreadsheet detailing all pupils with EHCPs where the LA has agreed that a change of placement is required.

If you do not receive an individual communication but consider that you have pupils that fall into this category, please send details to candfsendqualityandimprovement@birmingham.gov.uk, and copied to SENAR.Commissioning@birmingham.gov.uk.

Delivering Better Value Programme

In 2024, schools were invited to join the Delivering Better Value (DBV) programme to help shape the SEND service. With £1 million in funding secured until 2026, this provides a fantastic opportunity for headteachers to participate and contribute to the programme.

Thank you to the headteachers who have already dedicated their valuable time and expertise to one of two workstreams, both of which are progressing rapidly. Here’s a reminder of their objectives, current status, and any actions required from schools:

Workstream 1

Led by Heather Wood, Head of SEND Advisory Service, this workstream aims to develop a shared understanding across the local area, including schools and settings, about the needs that can and should be met in mainstream, Resource Base, and special schools.

There are four key areas within this workstream as follows:

Further development and embedding of the OAG: work is underway to develop a phased plan for refining and expanding the OAG Section 1 principles of good inclusive practice. Information has been shared at the SENCo Consortia Leads group so please encourage your SENCos to link in with their Local Groups. 25 schools have run their own action research projects using the OAG -18 internally with school staff, including two MATs at a Trust level, and 7 with parent groups in their school – feedback from these will be published very soon, including various Stories of Implementation to share good practice. An Early Years version is being developed via schools, settings, PCF and Health, working with the Council for Disabled Children; a draft will we ready to share by the end of the Spring term and we will be looking for EYS settings and Reception teachers to be piloting this, so do please get in touch if you are interested in being part of this.

SEND Advisory Service redesign: new ways of working under a tiered approach has been developed i.e. Tier One = capacity building, Tier Two = targeted work with individual pupils, Tier Three = school Improvement re SEND. An increase of core hours to all schools and settings with focus on early intervention and capacity building has been given this academic year and we are looking to increase this moving forward.

Developing guidance around what good provision looks like: an approach to delivering the Resource Base Quality Assurance programme has been piloted and is now in the process of full implementation.

Staff have been seconded from schools to support with activity within this overall area. In addition, as part of the work being undertaken, two specific projects related to ‘Curriculum Pathways’ and ‘Autism-friendly schools and settings’ are about to begin, facilitated by the Derby Research School. These will involve a series of focus groups starting at the end of March until July 2025, to develop a detailed action plan for these areas of work.  These two groups will be considering any specific challenges that need to be defined as part of this plan. There will be representation from schools and settings from across different parts of the city at these focus group meetings.

Transition: As part of developing a more robust Transition Framework to support schools and settings, CYP and their families, thank you to those schools who have been sharing with us their effective transition practice. Learning has been collated from these to develop an enhanced transition offer for Nursery/Reception and Y6/7 and we will be sharing more information at the SENCo Briefings this term – we will be looking for schools and settings to pilot this offer with us over the next two terms, so please do get in touch if you’re interested in being part of this.

If you would like to put yourself forward to be part of any of the activities above, please contact the team at DeliveringBetterValue@birmingham.gov.uk.

Workstream 2

Led by Dr Pauline Bromfield, Head of Service/Principal Educational Psychologist, this workstream focuses on the effectiveness of High Needs Funding (HNF) arrangements and its related policies and procedures.

Currently, a financial spend sampling exercise is underway with several special, mainstream, and mainstream schools with resource base provision. In January, 800 sample requests were sent to 346 schools – thank you to those schools who have returned their responses. To those schools who have yet to make a submission, could we kindly ask you to do so at the earliest opportunity. Without your responses, we will not be able to progress to the option development phase of the workstream.

If you are experiencing any difficulty making your submissions, please don’t hesitate to contact the team at DeliveringBetterValue@birmingham.gov.uk and they will be pleased to assist.

Both workstreams are vital in ensuring schools remain involved in important decision-making processes which will ultimately improve the services provided for our children, young people and families.

Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to keeping schools updated as this exciting initiative progresses.

For any queries or further information please contact the team at DeliveringBetterValue@birmingham.gov.uk.

Invitation to Observe SEND Panel Meetings

As part of our ongoing commitment to transparency and openness, we invite schools to observe our SEND Panel meetings. Initially, we seek feedback on how school and setting representatives can best contribute to these meetings. In the long term, we aim to offer representatives from educational settings the opportunity to attend the Panels on a rotational, termly basis. We encourage participation from all provisions.

The SEND Panel meets weekly, every Tuesday from 9:00am to 12:00pm, virtually via Microsoft Teams.

SEND Panel Remit:

• Decision to conduct EHC needs assessments (Decision to Assess - DTA)
• Decision to conduct EHC needs re-assessments
• Decision on whether to issue EHC plans (Decision to Issue - DTI)
• Confirming the type of placement
• Agreeing on the level of mainstream funding support within and outside the current mainstream resource allocation system
• Considering change of placement requests
• EHE referrals

If schools are interested in attending a future panel meeting, please contact Harry Davis at Harry.Davis@birmingham.gov.uk to express your interest.

We look forward to your potential involvement and feedback.