Only those pupils who you receive top up funding for should be flagged as such in the census.This is a true/false flag to indicate those pupils on roll for whom the school receives, on census day, high-needs top-up funding – either from a local authority or, in the case of a PRU or AP, a local authority or another school. Top-up funding is paid outside a maintained school’s budget share or academy’s general annual grant and relates to a pupil or student identified as requiring additional support, which costs more than a specified threshold. In many cases, the period for which top-up funding is paid may not be defined but the top-up funding will – as with the SEN provision to which it relates – be subject to periodic review.
Usually, but not always, the pupils for whom a primary or secondary mainstream school receives top-up funding are those with an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Sometimes local authorities may also provide support for pupils with code ‘K’ – SEN support.
Sometimes, terminology other than high-needs top-up funding is used locally. Schools should check with the local authority if they are in doubt about whether payments received from a local authority are high-needs top-up funding.
The specified cost threshold for additional SEN support varies according to the type of provision. For primary and secondary mainstream schools and academies, the threshold is £6,000 per pupil per annum in all cases. Top-up funding is paid in respect of individual pupils whose additional support costs more than this and is for the excess costs over the threshold. However, in the case of all special schools, special academies, special free schools, PRU or AP, the funding they receive is £10,000 per place, and the top-up funding will be for the costs incurred by the school in providing additional support in excess of this funding.