ONE Hounslow banded funding
ONE Hounslow banded funding is the collective name for the way that we fund our Children and Young People (CYP) with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
ONE Hounslow banded funding replaces all other funding methodologies with effect from September 2025. This includes the funding matrix for mainstream schools and generic top-up rates for SEN centres and special schools.
ONE Hounslow banded funding has been developed through collaborative working between Hounslow schools, SEN professionals, council officers and the local health authority. It has been based upon extensive modelling and testing and has been approved by the Hounslow Schools Forum.
Underlying principles of ONE Hounslow banded funding:
- The funding model will support inclusion for all CYP with EHCPs by providing an appropriate level of funding to support their inclusion in their local community and local school.
- Funding will follow the learner, regardless of the setting they attend, therefore the greater the complexity of need, the greater the level of funding.
- The funding model will encompass mainstream, SEN centres and special school settings.
- The funding model will be transparent.
- The rates used in any new financial model will be kept under review.
- Alignment with the Hounslow Mainstream Inclusion Partnership.
- All CYP with an EHCP, will have a ‘Descriptors of Need’ completed and kept up to date to reflect current levels of need.
- Funding will be used by the setting, to meet the CYP’s needs, through resources and building capacity and expertise within the setting.
- Predictable needs attract no top-up funding and should be meet through a school's notional SEN allocation.
Descriptor of needs for SEN school funding (PDF)
Matrix band calculator
The Matrix band calculator is a spreadsheet that is used to calculate the amount of top-up funding a child or young person receives following a needs assessment by the SEN Panel using the descriptors of need.
The matrix band calculator mirrors the structure of the descriptors of need (cognition and learning needs, communication and interaction needs, sensory and physical needs and SEMH needs). It is a simple process to map the needs of the CYP (exceptional low, medium or high) onto the spreadsheet using tick boxes.
The matrix band calculator uses weightings to determine the amount of funding a child or young person receives. The weightings have been calculated using data obtained during the testing phase of the ONE Hounslow banded funding project. The weightings will be kept under review to ensure they remain relevant.
From September 2025 the weightings are:
- Exceptional needs low - 2.6
- Exceptional needs medium - 3.7
- Exceptional needs high - 4.5
An example of how the calculator works for a child or young person with exceptionally high SEMH needs is shown below.
*insert matrix score calculator PDF and matrix funding PDF
Therapies
The notional cost of therapy is included in the value of the top-up. This only applies to those pupils attending a mainstream or special school.
It will be the responsibility of the school to either commission therapy from either:
- the health authority
- the private sector
- a therapist who is directly employed
For those CYP who have been placed in an SEN centre/resourced provision, the value of the therapy shall be deducted from the top-up funding and retained centrally.
This is because these children are part of the centrally-arranged contract between the London Borough of Hounslow and the local health authority/commissioning group.
This contract only runs for the financial year 2025-26. From April 2026, it will be the responsibility of the SEN centre/resourced provision to commission therapy from either:
- the health authority
- the private sector
- a therapist who is directly employed
Personal budgets for therapies
Where a parent requests a personal budget to cover the cost of therapy, the sum equal to the number of therapy hours times £100 shall be deducted from the top-up funding award and passed onto the parent.
The direct payments team will ensure that this funding is used for the purpose it is intended for.
Inflation rates
The matrix of funding will be reviewed every April and updated by either the percentage increase applied to the Dedicated Schools Grant by the Department for Education or the percentage increase in the National Joint Council (NJC) salary scales, whichever is the lower of the two measures. Subject to affordability.
Frequently asked questions
High needs funding is allocated to local authorities to distribute funding to settings so that they can make provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who require additional resources to take part in education and learning.
Top-up funding is the funding allocated to settings to secure the special educational provision for those children and young people with EHCPs.
In Hounslow, we have worked with stakeholders across education, health and social care, and with over 40 settings to update our top-up funding model. This is now modern and new and ensures that the funding allocated to an EHCP remains the same regardless of the child or young person’s education setting.
Each local authority can develop and co-produce their own banding system, but themes tend to be similar, featuring different levels and numbers of bands.
Starting from Autumn Term 2025, the new top-up funding model will be introduced for children and young people with an EHCP who both live in Hounslow and attend a school in Hounslow.
The transition to the new funding model will begin during the annual reviews in Year 5 and Year 9 and will be rolled out gradually over four years. This phased approach will apply to both existing EHCPs and newly issued plans, allowing for a smooth and manageable shift to the new system.
The new model will use a banding system, supported by clear guidance, training, and communication to help everyone involved understand and adapt to the changes.
Top-up funding is the funding allocated for settings to secure the special educational provision for children and young people with an EHCP.
MIP funding is allocated to support mainstream schools to apply additional provision for children and young people with special educational needs who receive SEN Support and do not have an EHCP.
EHC panels take place every week. These are currently being reviewed with new arrangements from the autumn term 2025.
