Early Years Step into School Fund
The Step into School Fund is a non-statutory process which allows schools access to high needs top-up funding without an EHCP for children with complex needs to transition into their local mainstream Primary School.
It supports our shared commitment to Shropshire children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) being healthy, happy and safe and able to achieve their potential to lead a fulfilling life as well as having and expecting to have the same opportunities in life as other children and young people.
We aim to develop local, high quality inclusive provision with a strengthened graduated response and emphasise that children with SEND do not need an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to move into a mainstream primary school in their local community.
The Step into School funding will support children with complex SEN transition into school. This will provide time for the completion of multi-disciplinary assessment (MDA) within the Child Development Centre (CDC) and allow the receiving primary school to build upon the initial graduated response started by the childminder, group or school-based setting through cycles of Assess-Plan-Do-Review creating a holistic picture of a child’s needs.
Parent carer information on Step into School funding is available on the Local Offer as well as in the Parent carer guide below which must be shared with parent carers. Settings and school are asked to read the below guidance before making a request for the funding.
All other forms and paperwork required to make the request are also listed below:
- Guidance
- EY Step into School Funding Request Form
- EY Step into School Funding Provision Map
- My Early Years Person Centred Plan
- Transition Document - from setting to school
- Terms of Reference for Panel Members
- EY Step into School Parent-carer Guide
All applications and paperwork need to be submitted to NEF@shropshire.gov.uk by 13th May. Following this, requests will be triaged and you will receive an invitation to panel by 15th May, the first panel being on 18th May. Should there be too many requests, a subsequent panel is planned later that week.
For any enquiries please e-mail EQA@shropshire.gov.uk