Element 3 Funding 2025-26

These will be updated regularly.  If you have a question, please submit HERE 

FAQs - INDES

Which CYP does this apply to?  

This applies to children on your SEN register at SEN support (SEN K) and those with an EHCP (SEN E) who are on roll at your school.

If a child is on your SEN register, (regardless of whether they receive Element 3 funding) ensure their INDES reflects their needs and you have uploaded a SEN support plan. If the INDES or SEN support plan for this CYP does not need updating, take no action.

What about the children who we refer to the school and community team with 'emerging need'? They are not on the register necessarily, yet they must have an INDES

This applies only to children on your SEN register at SEN support (SEN K) and those with an EHCP (SEN E).

Do I need to send up to date SEN support plans for all pupils on the register?

SEN support plans for all CYPs should be submitted. SEN Support plans don't need to be updated for this process, just use the latest one you have.

INDES do not need updating unless the needs have changed.

If INDES haven't changed you can share SEN Support plans via this link. Please ensure that you clearly label the files with either INDES ref number or child's name. Upload additional files for INDES or IPSEF - Upload a file - Section 1 - Norfolk County Council

Do we need to send SEN passports AND learning plans with APDR and how many plans/reviews do we send?

If you have a separate pupil passport and learning plan and are concerned that one alone wouldn't evidence need/child, please do send both.

Please include one cycle of review if you have it. If you have not yet reviewed a cycle for the child, just send the current plan. There is no need to create any additional documents or review SEN support plans early.

Can NCC  send a list of the SEN support plans we don't have for the setting?

Email INDESIPSEFsupport@norfolk.gov.uk for a setting report to see which INDES you have previously submitted and have ticked "yes" to requesting support. These are the ones you will have previously uploaded a SEN support plan for. 

For some schools there are significant numbers on the SEN register. What if the parent does not give consent?/What happens if parents don't give their consent for schools to share their APDRs with LA?

Information about data protection can be found on the first page of the INDES webform.  There have been no changes to this. You will be asked to confirm that you have permission of the parent/guardian or CYP (if over statutory school age) to share information with relevant agencies/professionals. This should already be covered within a setting's existing privacy policy. It is best practice to inform families that information is being shared. Please inform us if you do encounter an issue.  (Element3funding@norfolk.gov.uk). 

Do I submit a SEN support plan for pupils who are new to our school if they have evidence that was submitted by the previous setting?

Yes please if they are on your SEND register. Since SEN Support plans will be contextual, we would ask for the SEN Support plan from your setting please.

When submitting INDES do we choose the 'funding' option for each or leave this as it is related to funding?

Please do not tick USSF if you do not wish to make a request to USSF.

Do I submit an INDES for the SRB children (they have different funding separate to E3 main school).

Yes, if these children are on your SEN register and on roll at school, please submit an INDES.  We will identify which children are part of your SRB.

FAQs - IPSEF

Do I need to send another IPSEF/GPM if they were updated last term?

No

I don't think my current IPSEF and support plans reflect my practice, we are in a state of change at our school and so a snapshot of our provision now will soon be out of date. What can I do to share this?

If they wish to, schools can share their development plan when they submit their IPSEF and/ or review their IPSEF if it does not feel reflective of their school.  It is nota requirement to send development plans.

Consider revisiting and checking your IPSEF for accuracy.  It is best practice for IPSEFs to be updated annually.

We are a federated school, but have 2 separate DfE numbers - presumably we need to submit the IPSEF/GPM/INDES separately for both schools? 

If you're two separate schools, you would need to do a separate IPSEF for each school. 

FAQs - GPM

Will the Summer term funding will remain the same banding and so we can project for Summer term based on what we have for Autumn/Spring? 

Yes.  The summer term bands will remain the same.  The allocations will be 5/12ths of the financial year 24/25.     (Autumn = 4/12ths,  Spring = 3/12ths, Summer = 5/12ths)

How are we costing staff? Do we cost the full salary or a proportion of that for the SEND support work?

Add the cost for the staff whose salary is directly paid from the SEND budget, this may be a proportion of their salary, such as 1 day per week directed to undertake SEN support, but please add on-costs.

I completed a detailed CPM October. Can I transfer this information over onto the GPM format? What are the implications for this around the costings for staff?

You can transfer the information.  We recommend that you review whether the information is up to date, including staff costings.

Should I complete the Graduated Approach Costed Provision Map for the 24-25 academic year or financial year?

Most schools have stated a preference for the GPM showing the provision for an academic year.  We suggest that schools fill this in for the academic year 24-25.

What figure do we use from our SEN memo in our GPM?

The figure which relates to the period covered by the GPM.  This will be the academic year 24-25 for most settings.

Autumn 24 and Spring 25 amounts are available in your budget share.  Summer 25 amounts will be 5/12ths.  Please do not worry if you do not have this information, or you are finding it difficult.  We hold this information so can add it if you are not able to.

In the blue staffing section, some of our high schools have run out of space to list staff, what should we do?

You can insert lines into the GPM.  Make sure that you insert the rows in the same place on both tabs (the Blank GPM provision map and Blank GPM costings.)  We can offer support with doing this if you need it, and are happy to do it for you!  Please email INDESIPSEFsupport@norfolk.gov.uk to request support with this if required.

Where staff members have split contracts e.g. paid 0.6FTE as a HLTA and 0.4FTE as a TA with different pay scales, should we enter them as 2 separate roles as we normally would? Again, not enough space on the spreadsheet and conscious of the excel formulas etc?

In these cases, please enter the member of staff as two separate roles. 

FAQs - Communications

Why didn't I see the information before now? 

Communications were sent directly to CEOs, CFOs, Heads and office@ addresses before we broke up at Christmas to let them know full communications about E3 changes were coming first week of term.  Full guidance was released in the first week of the term.

This was thens followed up in the Together newsletter, then the Ecourier.

If your headteacher/CEO/CFO did not receive the direct communication, please email element3funding@norfolk.gov.uk so that contact lists can be checked for accuracy,

Can I have an extension?

If a setting is not able to meet the deadline, indicative allocations will be after Easter.  If you are concerned you are not able to meet the deadline, please email element3funding@norfolk.gov.uk so we can understand the issues you have specific to your setting and support you directly. 

FAQs - Other

What happens if we miss the deadline? If we miss it, are we still able to upload the information for consideration?

Where information is submitted prior to February half term, we will review and provide an indicate Element 3 allocation for the 2025/26 academic year by Easter.    

If a setting is not able to meet the deadline, indicative allocations will be after Easter.  If you are concerned you are not able to meet the deadline, please email element3funding@norfolk.gov.uk so we can understand the issues you have specific to your setting and support you directly. 

Please refer to the timeline. Once settings have completed their uploads there will be several pieces of work going on behind the scenes.  This is detailed on the timeline.

Are the team at County going to look at all of the learning plans and other documents we send in? How does the time taken on this task benefit our students?

The moderation process internal NCC teams will be undertaking will involve looking at submitted GPMs, INDES and SEN support plans and IPSEFs for each setting.  This is an initial moderation process. Going forwards, we would like it to be more multi-disciplinary, including schools.

What is happening with bridging funding for EYFS? Do we just complete an INDES for these CYP too?

Phase transition conversations with feeder schools will take place through local transition arrangements between settings, providers and families. Any support required from LA teams can be sought through the SISM via Team Around School (TAS) discussions or via the phoneline. Where TAS support is not in place, SEND and Inclusion Advisers will continue to work with their designated schools to support planning for the new academic year. It is advised that schools keep their GPM under review utilising the data available through the offers process to support early planning.  

Year R Bridging Fund will continue in its current format being a time-limited allocation targeted to support the transition of children identified with particularly high needs entering into the mainstream school system. The fund is given to allow children time to settle into their new schools and for settings to get to know them and understand their needs. During the summer term, LA officers will use point-in-time information to construct a list of children with high needs and their mainstream education settings destinations. This information will be communicated to schools following finalisation. 

Where is the INDES/IPSEF/GPM information and guidance? 

Identification of need and inclusive provision

What is PEaSS and where is the relevant information and guidance? 

Provision expected at SEN support (PEaSS)

My funding has changed significantly  

The move to distributing some funding on a formula basis based upon the NFF will result in some schools seeing changes to their anticipated funding for 2025-26 academic year; where this change may cause significant difficulties for a school, this can be discussed with the LA directly to consider how transition can be supported. 

Why are you publishing guidance now before a decision on the E3 funding envelope is made? 

The LA are mindful of the challenging financial circumstances that schools and trusts are facing, and the need for awareness and understanding in schools and trusts of the approach to be taken for Element 3 in Norfolk as soon as possible, to enable appropriate planning to take place.  

What support and guidance is available? 

Further information about support is available here.