Funding Inclusive Education: The Economic Realities

Funding for pupils with special educational needs has created resource management difficulties for schools and budgetary control problems for LEAs. Special educational needs is a frequent area of LEA overspending. These issues are particularly important as the development of inclusion and raising attainment for all pupils are key government priorities. Many LEAs are now considering revisions of their funding formulae for additional and special educational needs during Best Value Reviews and Fair Funding consultations. This accessible book examines the policy context for formula funding and the design and accountability issues for the construction of a revised formula. One of the central themes is the idea that a funding formula should be viewed as a key instrument of policy to assist in delivering specific inclusive policy objectives to meet the additional and special educational needs of pupils.