Walsall SEND services have been working with Walsall schools and partner services to review our approach to High Needs Funding arrangements, with the overall aim of developing a new approach for allocating the funding so that it is child centred, needs based, transparent, equitable and affordable.
A new draft guidance document (Walsall Right 4 SEND Guidance and banding document) has been developed which has two main aims. Firstly, it is intended that the guidance document will help Walsall schools and settings to effectively identify and meet the needs of children with special educational needs. Secondly, it provides a banding model which identifies children by their primary area of need and level of need. The banding will identify the level and type of support a child needs in school and this will inform the level of funding that will be provided to the child’s school for children with more complex needs who have an EHCP.
As the model is needs based, it should mean that all children with special educational needs in Walsall schools will get the right support for their type and level of need. It should also help to make sure that all children with special educational needs experience a ‘graduated approach’ which is a requirement of the SEND Code of Practice 2015.