To update Schools Forum on the implementation plan for the revised High Needs Matrix and to seek comments prior to consultation with schools and parent carer groups.

The head of additional needs (HAN) presented the implementation plan for the revised high needs matrix and tariffs and explained that this would be subject to consultation with schools and parent carer groups. The results of the consultation would be brought back to the budget working group and from there to the March meeting of the schools forum.

The HAN reported that a considerable amount of work had gone into the changes and it was important to differentiate between the matrix itself, which had been revised for some time, and the table of tariffs which are the values attached to the number of points generated by that wording. The revision sought to address double counting of scores and give greater recognition to the high level of medical and physical needs of some children. The revised matrix would cover the vast majority of children so fewer exceptional decisions would need to be made.

The revisions to the wording in the matrix had been carried out with a working group which had a wide range of stakeholders represented. Since that work had been completed a moderation exercise had taken place to make sure that individual children did not receive big changes to their financial packages and that individual schools did not have wide fluctuations between the old and new arrangements. The principles set out at the start of the review included an aim that children and young people should be funded at the same level irrespective of the setting they attended. A lot of work had been undertaken to try and smooth out changes for individual settings while still adhering to that principle.

The new arrangements would be phased in over five years. From April 2021 all new education health and care plans would be based on the new matrix and tariff. Existing plans would be moved to the new system as pupils reached points of phase transfer.

Forum members noted that there would likely be some fluctuations for individual schools but they should be relatively small in an overall budget. The representative of LA special schools highlighted that the tariff system was the only means of increased income for special schools as there was no year on year increase in the basic per pupil funding. The SFM explained that the council was restricted by the national funding formula which fixed the per pupil figure of £10k. Feedback had been sent to the DfE that it was about time the figure was increased but the DfE were waiting for the conclusion of the national SEN review. It was hoped that the outcome of the review would be published before the end of the Spring Term 2021. The SFM explained that the council had allocated greater inflationary increases on the tariffs which were most relevant to special schools in recognition of the increase in costs such as staffing for special schools.

It was resolved that:

(a)    Schools forum endorses the implementation plan for consultation with schools and parent carer groups (subject to any  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16