1st Edition

Funding Inclusive Education The Economic Realities

By Alan J. Marsh Copyright 2003

    This title was first published in 2003.Funding for pupils with special educational needs has created resource management difficulties for schools and budgetary control problems for LEAs. Special educational needs is a frequent area of LEA overspending. These issues are particularly important as the development of inclusion and raising attainment for all pupils are key Government priorities. Many LEAs are now considering revisions of their funding formulae for additional and special educational needs during Best Value Reviews and Fair Funding consultations. This stimulating and accessible book examines the policy context for formula funding and the design and accountability issues for the construction of a revised formula. One of the central themes is the idea that a funding formula should be viewed as a key instrument of policy to assist in delivering specific inclusive policy objectives to meet the additional and special educational needs of pupils.

    Contents: Introduction; The conceptualisation of special educational needs and the purposes of providing additional funding; Funding principles; Historic funding of special educational needs and the relationship with formula funding; Funding methods used by local education authorities to determine special educational needs; The continuum of funding and special educational needs; Summary and conclusions; Bibliography; Index.

    Biography

    Dr Alan J Marsh is now working in a freelance capacity having worked as a Local Education Authority educational psychologist for 19 years, most recently with Nottinghamshire County Council, UK. He has taught in primary, secondary and special schools. He was seconded to the Department for Education and Skills in 2001 as a facilitator to the Special Educational Needs Data Strategy Steering Group working on the National Performance Framework for SEN. This book has been updated and revised from his PhD, and was awarded a second place in the order of merit by the British Educational Research Association (BERA) for their annual Dissertation Award.  

    ’With so little accessible material on funding issues related to special needs, this book is essential reading for all who are concerned with making better use of available resources for young people with special and additional educational needs. The author has an unusually strong grasp of the issues, as he is able to combine the perspectives of an educational psychologist with those from educational finance. This book should convince all those who care about children's learning that finance is too important an issue to be left to accountants and economists.’ Rosalind Levacic, Professor of Economics and Finance of Education, Institute of Education, University of London ’This highly readable book offers a comprehensive analysis of funding arrangements for pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools. At a time when improvement in the quality of educational provision in mainstream schools has become a major plank in the policy agenda of government this book presents a timely and challenging argument for grounding funding arrangements within an inclusive framework. It is a book that I would strongly recommend to policy makers, teachers, and all those with an interest in developing funding arrangements that genuinely contribute to an inclusive, high quality education for all children.’ Dr Derrick Armstrong, University of Sheffield, UK ’...is well grounded historically and contextually...The book provides some fascinating glimpses into what is a complex ethical and conceptual problem, namely how we provide equitably for the diversity of pupil needs within our schools.’ European Journal of Special Needs Education ’The book is informative, analytical and a timely released empirical work.’ Journal of Educational Planning and Administration ’The information and analysis in this book provides a strong platform from which to discuss funding mechanisms with directors and finance officers...a useful book for anyone involved in decision