SEND funding (FFI)

Funding for Inclusion (FFI) is the system for sharing out the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) High Needs Top Up budget to education settings. 

It is not dependant on having an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). 

A child or young person’s needs can be categorised in one (or more) of the following bands: 

• A band – cognition and learning needs
• B band – vision needs
• C band – hearing needs
• D band – physical needs
• E band – communication and interaction needs
• F band – social, emotional and mental health needs
• G band – health care needs

Early years providers receive money from the Nursery Education Grant and Free Early Education Entitlement to help prepare children for Reception in primary school. 

Pupils with low level needs and emerging SEND may be given some additional SEND Inclusion funding. 

Pupils who have higher level needs may be given some further top up funding known in Leeds as Early Years funding for Inclusion (EYFFI). 

This funding is known as Funding for Inclusion (FFI). 

All mainstream schools receive money for SEND support. 

Schools can decide how to spend this money but should use some of their budget to buy resources and make provisions such as changes to the curriculum, special equipment or teaching materials. Details of the schools SEND policies can be found on a schools website. 

You can ask your child's class teacher for a copy of their support plan to see how they’re helping them. 

If your child has an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) their support will be written in this document. EHCP’s do not have additional funding as the child should already be receiving the relevant funding that they need.
 

Other funding streams may be in place as part of health and social care needs within an EHCP known as direct payments and personal budgets. You can contact SENSAP on 0113 3785 256 or by emailing sensap@leeds.gov.uk to discuss these further.

Post 16 placements are funded by a place plus system. This means the local authority pays £10,000 per place. 

Pupils are then allocated Additional Learner Support (ALS) to meet any additional support costs that they might have. 

When a child is attending a specialist SEND placement they are funded in a different way to a pupil at a mainstream school with SEND. 

Specialist Provision in Leeds is funded on a place plus system. This means that the LA pays £10,000 for each place at a specialist setting. Pupils are then allocated top-up funding if they need it.