2015/16 High Needs Funding Exceptional cases process

1. 2015/16 High Needs FundingExceptional cases process Presented by Mel Evans September 2014

2. Key Documents • Schools revenue funding 2015 to 2016 - Operational guide • Additional information document • EFA high needs webpage

3. Roll forward of 2014/15 places Simplification • Rolling forward 2014/15 place numbers has a number of advantages: • It is not necessary to conduct another full place review (resource intensive for the EFA, local authorities and institutions); • Providing we are not inundated with exceptional cases it should allow us to finalise allocations in time for the DSG settlement in December (considerably earlier than last year); and • It is a semi-lagged system (albeit not driven by in-year data)

4. Post-16 places Key Change • We are changing the way post-16 places are planned within the high needs funding system: • Previously, post-16 places have been planned on a residency basis • For the 2015/16 academic year these places will be planned on an institution location basis, to align with pre-16 • Commissioning does not change • This change will align and simplify the way we collect place numbers from local authorities and is consistent with how a lagged system may work in the future • The EFA has published 2015/16 high needs places to account for these changes, which will have zero net impact on local authority budgets

5. Who can make an exceptional submission? • Local authorities can make exceptional cases for themselves and on behalf of institutions • Local authorities are central to the commissioning process • Unlike last year there will not be a formal process for FE institutions to make exceptional cases directly to the EFA • Unnecessary this year – greater stability and simplification and no institution will see a fall in their place number allocation from the current level • NMSS and Special Post-16 institutions make their own exceptional cases • Smaller institutions working with a wide range of LAs

6. Where can I find the templates? Local authorities • We have published two documents, a 2015 to 2016 academic year local authority high needs place exceptional case request form and a 2015 to 2016 academic year local authority high needs place exceptional case template . These forms should only be completed by local authorities after considering the specific guidance on the exceptional cases process contained within the high needs chapter of the schools revenue funding 2015 to 2016 – operational guidance Non-maintained special schools and specialist post 16 institutions • We have now published a 2015 to 2016 academic year high needs place exceptional case submission template for non-maintained special schools and specialist post 16 institutions. This template should only be completed by these institutions after considering the specific guidance on the 2015 to 2016 academic year high needs place exceptional cases process contained within our high needs additional information document All cases are to be completed and submitted by 17 October 2014. Any cases submitted after this date will not be considered

7. Where do I send my submission? Submissions from local authorities and non-maintained special schools must be emailed to the appropriate mailbox, based on the LA or institution’s location: HighNeeds.Central@education.gsi.gov.uk HighNeeds.Southern@education.gsi.gov.uk HighNeeds.Northern@education.gsi.gov.uk Submissions from specialist post-16 institutions must be emailed to the appropriate mailbox, based on the institution’s location: YPNorthern.EFA@education.gsi.gov.uk YPCentralSW.EFA@education.gsi.gov.uk YPSouthern.EFA@education.gsi.gov.uk