Banding and special educational provision in an EHCP

When a child or young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), we must make sure:

• the provision written in section F of the EHCP is delivered
• funding is allocated to support the delivery of this provision

Top-up funding

Sometimes, the special educational provision in an EHCP will need more funding than is already available to schools or educational settings to support children with additional needs. In these cases, extra money, called top-up funding, is given to help a child or young person achieve their outcomes.

We use a process called banding to decide how much top-up funding is needed for each child or young person.

What banding means

Banding helps us decide how much top-up funding is needed, in a fair and consistent way for children and young people.

It makes sure:

• children and young people with similar needs receive a similar level of support, while still allowing for individual needs
• funding is given fairly and transparently across schools

How we choose a band 

In April 2025, we introduced a digital banding tool to allocate top-up funding in new EHCPs. 

We use the tool to capture a child or young person’s needs, outcomes and provision, using the information in their EHCP. 

The tool then suggests a band. Each band has a financial value, and this money goes to the school or setting to support the child or young person.

A band is based on a child or young person’s needs at the time of banding, and so any changes to a band will be led by a child or young person’s needs. This will be communicated with a child or young person’s school or setting. 

Related information 

Find out more about:

• Our panels that make decisions about EHCPs
• Personal education budgets for children and young people with EHCPs