Guidance

High needs funding arrangements: 2025 to 2026

Information for local authorities, schools and colleges about high needs funding arrangements for the 2025 to 2026 financial and academic year.

• From: Education and Skills Funding Agency
• Published: 7 October 2024
• Last updated: 13 November 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

High needs place change process: 2025 to 2026 academic year

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How to complete the high needs place change workbook for 2025 to 2026

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Hospital education funding: guidance for 2025 to 2026

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High needs student and pupil numbers for 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 academic year

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High needs place process: alternative provision (AP) free school guidance for 2025 to 2026

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Details

High needs place change process

Read the guidance for an overview of the place change process for the 2025 to 2026 academic year, including how to determine place numbers and a timeline.

How to complete the high needs place change workbook

Local authorities should use these instructions to help complete the high needs place change workbook for providers in their area.

Hospital education funding: guidance

Read the hospital education funding guidance to find out how local authorities can apply for changes to their hospital education funding for the 2025 to 2026 financial year.

High needs pupil numbers in the school census: 2023 to 2024 academic year

The high needs pupil data shows the number of pupils in special academies and special free schools recorded in the spring 2024 school census. It also shows the place numbers for the 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 academic years. We issued 2023 to 2024 R06 data to local authorities, with the import/export adjustment for the 2024 to 2025 financial year, in June 2024.

High needs place process: alternative provision (AP) free school guidance for 2025 to 2026

Guidance on completing and returning the AP free school high needs places workbook.

Further information

Read the high needs funding 2024 to 2025: operational guide for information about the 2024 to 2025 academic and financial year funding arrangements.

Read the ‘Summary policy note for schools and high needs national funding formula 2025 to 2026‘ for further details of the NFF funding system for 2025 to 2026.

View the high needs: allocated place numbers for a list of allocated high needs place numbers.

Published 7 October 2024
Last updated 13 November 2024 + show all updates

1. 13 November 2024

   We have added guidance for completing the alternative provision free schools high needs place change data collection return.

2. 7 October 2024

   First published.