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How special schools are funded: 2025-26

Learn how special schools receive their funding, including how place funding and top-up funding are allocated.

Updated
on 23 April 2025See updates
School types: Special•School phases: All•Ref: 32511
Contents
  1. Special schools are funded from the high needs block
  2. Place funding is your core allocation
  3. Top-up funding is in addition to place funding
  4. Core schools budget grant
  5. Other streams of funding

Special schools are funded from the high needs block

High needs funding:

  • Supports provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) 
  • Is provided to local authorities (LAs) through the high needs block of the dedicated schools grant (DSG)

This is explained in the high needs funding operational guide for 2025-26 (see section 1.3).

Place funding is your core allocation

Place funding is paid at a standard rate per place, based on the number of high needs placements your commissioning LA expects to make in the coming year.

Place funding is not reserved for a specific pupil – you are free to decide how to divide it across the number of places commissioned based on the needs