Additional Educational Needs Funding - Staffordshire Learning Net

Recommendations 

Schools Forum – 8 February 2012 

AEN funding 

1. That the Schools Forum note the content of this report. 

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Director for People: 

PART A 

Why is it coming here – what decision is required? 

2. The Schools Forum has a consultative role in respect of school funding including 

arrangements for pupils with special educational needs. 

Reasons for recommendations: 

3. To inform Schools Forum of the outcome of the recent AEN funding consultation and 

the authority’s response. 

Background: 

PART B 

4. The Forum considered a report on Additional Educational Needs (AEN) funding at 

their October 2011 meeting which provided an update on the implementation of Phase 

1 of the new AEN funding system and discussed the options for Phase 2, to be 

implemented in September 2012. The report sought the Forum’s views on the draft 

consultation document which was then issued to all providers in the second half of the 

autumn term, attached at Appendix 1 for information. 

5. Overall the authority received 71 responses to the consultation, as summarised below. 

Sector 

Number of 

responses 

Number 

of 

providers 

% 

response 

rate 

Primary schools 39 295 13% 

Secondary schools 7 67 10% 

Academies 2 16 13% 

Schools total 48 378 13% 

PVI early years providers 23 452 5% 

Overall 71 830 9% 

6. This paper contains an overall summary of the issues and responses, more detail of 

which can be found in the Appendices. 

Schools Forum 8.02.2012 - Item 6 - Additional Educational Needs Funding Page 1

7. The first question in the consultation document was seeking the level of support for 

changing the hours of support attached to Higher Level Needs (HLN) bandings. The 

original proposals implemented in 2011/12 included two categories of Higher Level 

Needs, the criteria for which are set out in the ACN/HLN Guidance Notes on the 

Staffordshire Learning Net. Fixed hours were attached to each category, with 20 

hours support for HLN1 (25 hours for HLN1 (sensory)) and 32.5 hours for HLN2 and 

HLN2 (sensory). The consultation sought views on attaching a range of hours to each 

HLN category to enable the system to be more flexible and allocations to be made to suit 

the needs of the individual pupils. Once the number of hours support required are agreed 

they will remain fixed until the standard review (end of Key Stage, NCY5). 

Overall response: 

Fully Support 44% 

Partially Support 25% 

Do not support 7% 

Not sure 16% 

No response 8% 

TOTAL (allowing for rounding) 100% 

8. Some schools commented that they welcomed the flexibility to enable funding to meet 

needs. A small number of schools expressed concern that funding may reduce. 

9. The second question discussed the timing of reviewing these hours. Originally HLN 

funding was intended to be allocated for a Key Stage, so for example funding 

allocated in National Curriculum Year (NCY) 7, at the start of Key Stage 3, would 

remain in place until the end of NCY9. This approach means that for Key Stage 2 

which includes NCY3 – NCY6 funding would be set at the existing level for several 

more years before the more flexible approach described above could be implemented. 

The consultation sought views on reviewing HLN funding for NCY3 and NCY4 in the 

spring term. 





Not sure 16% 



10. The comments accompanying the responses to this question made it apparent that 

some respondents had thought we were proposing to review NCY3 and NCY4 funding 

each year as a matter of course, rather than as a one-off to move from fixed to flexible 

hours. Others were concerned about additional workload on schools if they had to reapply 

for funding. It is not possible to say whether these misunderstandings 

influenced their response. 

11. The third question considered the arrangements for early years in PVI settings, which 

had been working well, and sought views on continuing with the existing 

arrangements. 






Not sure 14% 



12. The final question considered the arrangements for Additional Cluster Needs (ACN) 

funding, the original proposals for which had caused the most concern amoungst 

primary headteachers in particular. The consultation included three options. Option A 

would involve rolling out cluster budgets to all schools, similar to the original proposals 

but subject to the improvements in process, support and training outlined in the 

document. Option B would involve a similar process to Option A but with the decisions 

being taken at a district panel level rather than clusters of schools. Option C was a 

mixed economy with ACN funding being devolved where providers agreed that they 

wanted to make decisions on ACN funding within their cluster, with the budgets for 

other clusters being managed at district level in line with option B. 


Option A 8% 

Option B 37% 

Option C 10% 

Other 15% 

Not sure 23% 



13. Those schools responding ‘Other’ included comments about different needs of areas, 

for example numbers of schools within a cluster or levels of deprivation. These issues 

were already included in the ACN formula for distributing funding between areas. 

Next steps 

14. The AEN Implementation Group considered the responses to the consultation at their 

meeting on 19 December 2011. The authority is intending to implement Phase 2 in 

line with the majority responses: 

a. HLN funding will move from fixed hours per HLN level to a more flexible 

range of hours over time, appropriate to the pupil’s needs 

b. NCY3 and NCY4 HLN hours are being reviewed in the spring term with any 

changes to hours being implemented from September, and schools being 

notified with their budget information in March 

c. Other HLN pupils will be reviewed at the end of their Key Stage (or NCY5 for 

KS2 in preparation for transition) in line with original timescales for review, 

and will move to the flexible hours system. 

d. Existing arrangements for PVI funding will continue 

e. ACN funding will be dealt with at district level, with school representation 


Report author: 

Author’s Name: Dr. Lynda Mitchell 

Ext. No.: 7965 

Room No.: B.2.08, Second Floor, Tipping Street 

List of background papers: 

Schools Forum 19.10.2010 - Item 6 (Original AEN consultation paper) 

Schools Forum 17.02.2011 - Item 7a (AEN consultation response) 

Schools Forum 18.10.2011 - Item 6 - AEN Funding Update

Additional Educational Needs Funding - Staffordshire Learning Net

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?