16 to 19 non-maintained special school (NMSS) revenue funding allocation guide: 2020 to 2021
Updated 29 September 2020
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-funding-allocations-supporting-documents-for-2020-to-2021/nmss-revenue-funding-allocation-guide-2020-to-2021
1. Introduction
This guide helps you understand how we have calculated your funding allocation for academic year 2020 to 2021.
2. If there is an error in your data
The figures in the statement are your final funding allocation, which under normal circumstances will not be changed.
We reserve the right to reduce or withdraw your allocation at any stage should issues arise through audit or other processes which
- significantly affect the data underlying your allocation calculation
- significantly affect contract compliance, or
- if we believe that by making an allocation we will be putting public funds at risk
By exception, we will consider evidenced and credible business cases from institutions where there has been a significant error in the data returned by the institution.
3. Enquiries
If you have any questions that are not covered in this or other published guidance, please contact us using our online enquiry form.
4. Changes for 2020 to 2021
Discretionary bursary allocations
- We have changed the way we calculate discretionary bursary allocations for 2020 to 2021. For non-maintained special schools (NMSSs) we will use a local authority average to identify instances per student for financial disadvantage and travel. We have published information and videos to help you understand why we have made this change
5. Non-maintained special school funding allocation
We will base non-maintained special school (NMSS) funding allocations on the pupil numbers recorded in the October 2019 school census, uplifted by the difference between the pupil numbers recorded in the October 2018 and January 2019 school censuses. Any reduction in pupil numbers between the October 2018 and January 2019 school census is set to zero. This ensures no school is funded below its October 2019 census pupil numbers.
For NMSSs the total high needs place number allocation is described in table 2 of the funding statement. We fund these places at a rate of £10,000 per place.
The sections below provide an explanation of your 2020 to 2021 high needs funding allocation. The values on your statement are shown rounded to various numbers of decimal places. The calculation of your funding however is done using un-rounded values. This may result in some slight differences when you work through the calculation yourselves.
6. Table 1: Summary of 2020 to 2021 funding allocation
Total high needs place funding
- as set out in table 2, row 2.8 - Place Funding
Student financial support funding
- as set out in table 3, row 3.9 - Student Financial Support Funding Total
Total funding allocation
- 1.1 + 1.2
7. Table 2: High needs breakdown
Total pupil numbers recorded in October 2018 census
- total pupil headcount recorded in the October 2018 census based on the age range that the school is legally allowed to make provision for
Total pupil numbers recorded in January 2019 census
- total pupil headcount recorded in the January 2019 census based on the age range that the school is legally allowed to make provision for
Difference between October 2018 and January 2019 (that is, 2.2 minus 2.1)
- any reduction in pupil numbers between the October 2018 and January 2019 school census will be shown for information only. No school will be funded below its October 2019 census total pupil numbers
Total pupil numbers recorded in October 2019 census
- total pupil headcount recorded in the October 2019 census based on the age range that the school is legally allowed to make provision for
Pre- and post-16 pupil number proportions recorded in October 2019 census
- the proportions of pre- and post-16 pupils recorded in the October 2019 census data. These proportions are used to calculate the total pre- and post-16 numbers in 2.6
Total pupil numbers funded for 2020 to 2021
- the total pupil numbers in 2.6 are calculated by adding the increase in numbers in 2.3 to the total pupil numbers recorded in the October 2019 census in 2.4. The pre-16 and post-16 pupil numbers funded for 2020 to 2021 are then calculated by applying the proportions in 2.5 to the total pupil numbers in 2.6
Rate per place
- £10,000 per place
Place funding
- 2020 to 2021 total pupil numbers (2.6) × £10,000 per place
8. Table 3: Student financial support funding
This section explains how we have calculated student financial support funding in table 3 of the NMSS revenue funding allocation statement.
We have changed the way we calculate 16 to 19 discretionary bursary allocations following a consultation with the sector. We have published advice for institutions on the financial support young people may be able to access to help them participate in education and training.
Number of funded students
- the ‘total pupil numbers funded for 2020 to 2021’ (post-16 students only) shown at table 2.6
Instances per student
- we use local authority averages to determine the number of instances per student for ‘element 1: financial disadvantage’ and ‘element 2a: student costs – travel
- the maximum ‘instances per student’ value is 1.000
- ‘element 2b: student costs – industry placement’ funding does not apply to NMSSs
Number of instances
- instances per student for ‘element 1: financial disadvantage’ and ‘element 2a: student costs – travel’ are multiplied by the ‘number of funded students’ ‘instances per student’ x ‘number of funded students’
Instance funding rate
- the funding rate for each element of the discretionary bursary for 2020 to 2021. Bursary funding rates are subject to change year on year
Funding
- ‘number of instances’ x ‘instance funding rate’
Discretionary bursary fund
- the sum of each bursary element before transition arrangements are applied ‘element 1: financial disadvantage total’ + ‘element 2a: student costs travel total’
2019 to 2020 Discretionary bursary funding – baseline for transition
- your total 2019 to 2020 bursary allocation will be used as a baseline to calculate the transition lower and upper limits (-/+ 25%)
Transition lower limit
- 75% of the baseline for transition amount. In 2020 to 2021 academic year institutions will receive no less than 75% of the baseline transition amount following the change to the methodology
Transition upper limit
- 125% of the baseline for transition amount. In 2020 to 2021 academic year institutions will receive no more than 125% of the baseline for transition amount following the change to the methodology
Exceptional adjustment
- an exceptional increase or decrease applied to your discretionary bursary funding
Student financial support funding total
- your total discretionary bursary funding plus exceptional adjustments where appropriate