EHCP Funding & Banding Review

EHCP funding is under closer scrutiny than ever, because high needs budgets are stretched in almost every area. Local authorities need confidence that funding attached to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) is allocated fairly, consistently, and in line with each child’s needs. Schools and settings, in turn, need funding that genuinely matches the provision they are asked to deliver. It is understandable that this can become a source of tension on both sides.

Our EHCP funding review gives local authorities an independent, evidence-based view of how top-up funding is allocated and whether it reflects need and provision. Below, we explain what the review involves.

What is an EHCP funding review?

An EHCP funding review looks at how an authority decides the level of funding for children and young people with EHCPs, and whether those decisions are consistent, transparent, and matched to the needs and provision set out in each plan. It can examine banding frameworks, top-up rates, decision-making processes, and a sample of individual plans across different settings.

The purpose is not to cut support. It is to make sure funding reaches the children who need it, in a way that is fair to every school and setting, and sustainable for the authority. From our experience, the most useful reviews look at the quality of the plan and the provision on the ground, not only the numbers on a spreadsheet.

Who is an EHCP funding review for?

It is designed for local authority SEND, finance, and commissioning teams reviewing their high needs funding arrangements, including authorities redesigning banding models or responding to budget pressures. It also supports schools forums and working groups who want independent assurance about fairness and consistency. It links closely with our EHCP quality assurance and annual review support and SEND sufficiency planning.

What does our EHCP funding review include?

We shape the review around your questions, but a typical review covers:

• Analysis of top-up funding patterns by need, setting type, phase, and area
• Review of banding or funding frameworks, descriptors, and how they are applied
• A sample review of EHCPs, comparing needs, provision, and funding allocated
• Consistency of decision-making across panels and caseworkers
• Engagement with SENCOs, headteachers, and settings about how funding is used
• Visits to a sample of settings to see provision in practice
• Benchmarking of approaches, where suitable data is available
• Findings and practical recommendations for a fair and sustainable model

How does an EHCP funding review help your authority?

How our EHCP funding review works

• We agree the scope, key questions, sample, and data with your team.
• We analyse funding data and review your framework and processes.
• We review a sample of EHCPs and visit a sample of settings.
• We speak with officers, SENCOs, and school leaders.
• We share emerging findings and test recommendations with you.
• We deliver a final report and action plan.

What you get at the end

• A clear analysis of current EHCP funding allocation and its drivers
• Findings on consistency, transparency, and match to need
• Practical recommendations for your banding or funding model
• An action plan and a summary for schools forum and elected members

Key features of our service

SEND practitioners, not just analysts
Our reviewers understand EHCPs, provision, and specialist settings from the inside.

Balanced and impartial
A fair view that considers the authority, the settings, and above all the children.

Practical recommendations
Changes that are realistic to implement and explain.

Frequently asked questions about EHCP funding

How is EHCP funding calculated?

In mainstream schools, funding for a child with an EHCP generally comes from the school’s core budget, its notional SEN budget, and top-up funding from the local authority’s high needs budget. Specialist settings are usually funded through place funding plus top-up. How top-up levels are set varies between authorities.

What is an EHCP banding framework?

A banding framework groups levels of need and provision into bands, each linked to a funding rate. It aims to make top-up funding more consistent and transparent. Its success depends on clear descriptors and on applying them consistently across plans and settings.

Does an EHCP funding review mean cutting support for children?

No. The purpose is to make sure funding matches need and provision fairly and consistently. Some reviews find children who are underfunded as well as allocations that no longer reflect need. The legal entitlements in each plan always remain central.

How is this different from EHCP quality assurance?

A funding review looks at how money is allocated across plans and settings. EHCP quality assurance looks at the quality of the plans and annual reviews themselves. The two often work well together, because clearer plans make fairer funding decisions easier.

How long does an EHCP funding review take?

We agree the timeline at scoping, based on the size of the plan sample and the number of settings visited. Many reviews can be completed within a single term.

Why choose Jarvis Education for your EHCP funding review?

SEND and specialist provision are central to our work. Our founder is a former His Majesty’s Inspector, and our associate consultants include special school leaders, SENCOs, and SEND specialists who know what good provision costs and what it looks like. We bring rigour and fairness to a sensitive area, and we always keep the rights and needs of children and young people at the heart of the review.

Next steps & how to get started

• Speak to one of our experts. Tell us what is prompting a review and the questions you need answered.
• Once we agree the scope, we confirm everything in writing and agree the data and sample.
• Contact us today to discuss an EHCP funding review for your authority.
• We are ready to support you in making funding fair and sustainable.