Schools Funding

We use a formula to work out how to fund our mainstream schools. This formula has to be in line with the national regulations about school finance. West Berkshire Council creates the formula by each January to apply from the beginning of the following financial year. 

We consult with our schools and the Schools Forum before the final formula is decided.

• West Berkshire School Budget Allocations 2022/23 [25KB]
• Supporting notes for the School Formula Funding Allocations [204KB]
• Funding Transfers for Exclusions and Fresh Starts [188KB]

You can find more information about the school funding arrangements for 2022-23 on the GOV.UK website.

Early years funding

West Berkshire Council pays early years providers for the actual number of hours provision for each child. This includes academies and maintained schools. We use the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) [73KB]  to work this out for 3 and 4 year olds. 

Funding for disadvantaged two-year-olds is based on a fixed hourly rate. 

You can find more information about the early years funding arrangements for 2022-23 on the GOV.UK website.

Post-16 funding

The Education Funding Agency (EFA) provides annual funding allocations for post-16 pupils. You can read more about 16-19 funding on the GOV.UK website.

Funding outside the formula

Grants

• Pupil Premium Grants (information on the GOV.UK website)
• Universal Infant Free School Meals guide for schools and local authorities (information on the GOV.UK website)
• PE and Sport Premium Allocation for Primary schools (information on the GOV.UK website)
   

Other funding

• Growth Fund [31KB]  - intended to pay for an additional class from September for new schools, schools where the age range has extended, or where we've asked the school to take additional pupils
• Fund for schools with a disproportionate number of high needs pupils [46KB]  - an additional £6,000 funding (pro rata each term) for each additional high needs pupil in a school where the total numbers of high needs pupils are above the percentage average of high needs within West Berkshire

High needs funding

The funding arrangements for pupils with high needs are set by the government on an annual basis. 

You can find the High Needs Funding arrangements for 2022-23 on the GOV.UK website.
 

Place funding for special schools, resource units and pupil referral units

Pupils placed in these schools or resource units aren't counted when calculating the main school formula. Instead, the school receives £10,000 per number of places in the school or resource unit. 

This is based on the number of places agreed by the Department for Education on an academic year basis.
 

Top-up funding for high needs pupils

• High Needs Top Up Banding 2023-24 [22KB]
• Criteria for Funding for Additional High Needs 2023-24 [45KB]
• PRU and Home Tuition Top Up Rates 2022-23 [63KB]
• Criteria for Exceptional Resource Unit Funding [178KB]

Funding is designated to pupils according to their needs, as set out in their Special Educational Needs (SEN) statement or Education Health and Care plan (EHCP). Where the cost exceeds the threshold place funding (£10,000 in special schools or resource units, £6,000 in mainstream schools), top-up funding is paid.

Funding follows the pupil - it's based on number of days the pupil is in the school and is paid to the school by the local authority where the pupil lives.

Capital Funding

You can find information on capital funding for schools on the GOV.UK website.