Explain
Bands, top-up and funding
Many councils use bands or top-up amounts to decide how much money a school gets for a pupil with an EHC plan. A band or an amount of money describes funding, not the help itself. The Code of Practice says the help in Section F must be detailed and specific. A band or amount on its own does not say what help will be given. The duty to secure the help in Section F is on the council, whatever the funding arrangement.
- Type of rule
- Code of Practice: must (restates the law)
- Rule id
banding_and_funding- Rules version
- england-2026.10
- Law as at
- 30 September 2026
Sources
- SEND Code of Practice 2015, Section F row (detailed and specific), para 9.69Code of Practice: must (restates the law)
- Children and Families Act 2014, s 37(2)(c)Law (Act or Regulations)
- Children and Families Act 2014, s 42(2)Law (Act or Regulations)
Related
- Section F (special educational provision)
- Specific and quantified provision
- The council's duty to secure the provision (section 42)
In an assistant, the ehcp_check_wording tool helps with this: Check wording for specificity.
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