Project Overview: SEND Banding Tool Development
Local authorities across the South East are working together to develop a consistent, transparent, and evidence-based approach to allocating funding for children and young people with SEND in mainstream settings. Building on the Islington banded funding model, this project is creating a digital tool – now branded as Elucidate – that helps practitioners and decision makers assign pupils to appropriate funding bands based on assessed need.
The tool uses a structured framework of weighted questions across the four domains, Cognition & Learning, Communication & Interaction, Social Emotional Mental Health, and Sensory & Physical. The tool will generates a recommended funding band by calculating a composite score, supporting professional judgement while improving consistency and fairness in decision-making.
The project began with the development of a detailed Excel prototype, which is now being translated into a user-friendly web application for trial use by local authorities. The web version offers real-time scoring, intuitive navigation, and secure data handling – making it easier for schools, SENCOs, and local authority officers to collaborate around banding decisions.
The intended benefits include:
- Greater consistency and transparency in funding decisions
- A shared language and structure to support professional dialogue
- Improved trust in decision-making from families and providers
- Easier reporting and data analysis for local authorities
By co-producing the tool with input from practitioners and SEND leaders, the project aims to support more equitable access to resources and better outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
This project supports National Framework Enabler 3, National Framework Outcomes 1,2,3,4 and What works in SEND Enablers 1, 2 and 5. Please click here for more details