How is funding allocated to schools and local education authorities (LAs) for SEN?
The question of the resources available for SEN provision in schools is linked to the wider question of the level of resources available for education generally. Each year the Government sets out what it considers to be a reasonable and affordable level of spending on education. It then ensures funding to local authorities for this amount: this is distributed to individual local authorities through Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs). Each local authority must set its own education budget, taking account of local priorities. LAs allocate resources between maintained schools in their area under schemes that must follow regulations under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. It is for each LA to devise and revise its own scheme having regard to local needs and circumstances. Schemes require budgets to be delegated to schools; once budgets are delegated, schools’ governing bodies take decisions on precisely how to deploy the resources available but the budget statements that LAs a
