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Free Provision Map Template | The SENDCO’s Guide to High Needs Funding: How to Document Support and Secure More SEN Funding
- uGroup
- May 11
- 4 min read
Updated: May 13
For any SENDCO, the SEND funding crisis isn't just a headline, it’s a daily reality. Between rising costs and an increasing number of pupils requiring specialist support, the pressure to do more with less has never been higher.
One of the biggest hurdles schools face is moving from the school’s notional budget to High Needs Funding (Element 3). If you are considering Alternative Provision for a student, or if their needs have outstripped your internal resources, the burden of proof is on the school to show exactly where the money has gone.
In this post, we’re sharing our uReach Free Provision Map Template and some expert advice for SENDCOs on how to effectively prove the need for more funding.
Understanding the Element System: Why the £6,000 Threshold Matters
To get more funding for SEN support, you first have to understand how Local Authorities (LAs) view your budget. Most LAs operate on a three-tier system:
Element 1 (Core Funding): The basic per-pupil funding every child gets.
Element 2 (Notional SEN Budget): This is the money already in your school budget. LAs expect schools to spend approximately £6,000 of additional support on a pupil from this budget before they will step in with extra cash.
Element 3 (High Needs/Top-Up Funding): Additional funding for pupils with complex needs, often but not always linked to an EHCP.
The Problem: Many schools provide excellent support but fail to document the cost of that support. If you can’t prove you’ve spent that first £6,000 (Element 2), your application for High Needs Funding will likely be rejected. This is why having a robust Provision Map is a game-changer.
How to Get More Funding for SEN Support: The Power of the Audit Trail
The secret to a successful funding application isn’t just describing a child’s needs, it’s documenting the interventions and their impact. Using a high quality Provision Map template allows you to build an undeniable case:
1. Document Element 2 Costs Automatically
Before asking for High Needs Funding, use our free provision map template to list every 1:1 TA hour, mentoring session, and small group intervention. By assigning a "Unit Cost" to these, the map automatically calculates your spend. When that total hits £6,000, you have the financial evidence needed to ask the LA for help.
2. Evidence the Graduated Approach
LAs want to see the Assess-Plan-Do-Review cycle in action. Our free provision map template includes a "Summary of Impact" column. If you can show that you provided a high-cost intervention and it still didn't bridge the gap, you have the evidence required for a more specialist placement, such as Alternative Provision.
3. Justifying Alternative Provision
AP is a vital resource, but it is high-cost. To secure funding for an Alternative Provision placement, you must demonstrate that the mainstream environment, despite significant internal investment, is no longer meeting the child's needs. The provision map acts as the evidence trail that makes this argument for you. However, it is equally important to define the specific purpose of AP. You must highlight that AP is designed to be a temporary, intensive intervention, not a permanent destination. Your funding application should clearly outline the intended end goal: whether that is a successful, phased reintegration back into your mainstream setting, a transition to a more suitable long-term specialist environment, or a bridge toward post-16 success. By documenting a clear exit strategy on your provision map, you show the Local Authority that the funding is an investment in a purposeful, time-bound plan with a defined outcome in sight.
Advice for SENDCOs: 3 Tips for High Needs Applications
Be Specific with SMART Targets: Say "Pupil X will use a self-regulation strategy 3 out of 5 times" rather than "they need support." When they can’t meet that target despite 1:1 support, it proves the need for specialist intervention.
Focus on Costable Interventions: While SENDCO management time is typically excluded from individual costings, you should meticulously record every hour of LSA/TA support, ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) sessions, and the cost of specific intervention licenses or external professional fees paid by the school.
Use a Standardised Tool: Using a consistent Provision Map across your school ensures that all data is panel-ready whenever you need to make a referral or a funding request.
Download the uReach Free Provision Map Template
We have created a comprehensive, easy-to-use Free Provision Map Template in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel* to help you track your SEN spending and secure the funding your pupils deserve. *(The Google Sheets version is the stronger resource but both variations will work)
Features of the uReach Template:
Automatic Costing: Just enter the hours and rates; the sheet does the calculations.
Element 2 vs Element 3 Tracking: Clearly see when you've hit the £6k threshold.
Panel-Ready Reports: Designed to be sent directly to Local Authority funding panels.
or Click Below to Download The Microsoft Excel format:
Could uReach be the next step on your Provision Map?
If you are a SENDCO or School Leader looking for high-quality Alternative Provision around Wokingham, Reading, Bracknell & Maidenhead to support a student’s progress, we are here to help.
If we are local to your setting, uReach could be the perfect specialist provision to add to your map. We work closely with schools to provide the evidence, progress reporting, and therapeutic support needed to help your students thrive.
uReach, Mill Lane, Sindlesham, Wokingham, Berkshire, RG41 5DF
Contact us today to discuss a referral or to learn more about how our centre can support your pupils:
📞 0118 449 3023
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