How schools are funded to support children with SEND

Your child's school or college may be able to apply for funding to support your child with special educational needs and disabilities.

Community schools

Schools in Brighton and Hove, which includes academies and free schools may be able to get: 

  • basic funding for every child or young person at the school
  • Additional Support Funding (ASF)
  • top-up funding
  • pupil premium grant

How Additional Support Funding (ASF) works

Additional Support Funding (ASF) is a notional special educational needs (SEN) budget.

The level of funding is based on a notional level of children with SEN at all schools. It is not based on the number of children with SEN at individual schools.

Schools will spend different amounts on supporting children with SEN, depending on their individual needs. However, schools should use this funding up to £6,000 per child to support your child with special educational needs. This is on top of the AWPU funding.

How top-up funding works

Top up finding helps children with an education, health and care (EHC) plan, where necessary.

This funding supports the outcomes and support set out in your child’s EHC plan.

This funding will follow your child. For example:

  • if your child joins a school part-way through the year, the amount of funding the school will get will be based on the number of days left in the financial year, which runs from April to March
  • if your child leaves a school part-way through a year the funding will move with them to their new school

How pupil premium funding works

This additional funding is to help disadvantaged pupils perform better at school. Find out about the pupil premium funding on GOV.UK.

Brighton & Hove City Council special schools

Special schools run by the council in Brighton & Hove get:

  • basic funding for every school place at the school
  • and Additional Support Funding for each child that goes to the school

Other schools

If your child goes to a school in Brighton & Hove that isn’t funded by our council, or is about to start one of these schools, please ask the school about their SEND funding.

More information

Contact your child's school for more information about funding they can get. Get contact details for:

Find out about funding for special educational needs and disability on the GOV.UK website