The majority of a school's funding comes from the Department for Education & Skills (DfES) through their Local Education Authority (LEA). (Fuller details can be found on the websites of the Learning Trust's Learning Live and the Government's Teachernet.

An LEA has an agreed formula that calculates all schools' individual school budgets (ISBs) according to various factors.

The main factors used are:

• number of pupils
• school area - this is used to estimate costs of running the building
• the number of pupils who qualify for free school meals
• mobility - a pupil is classified as being mobile if they joined the school in any year other than reception (for primary schools) or Year 7 (for secondary schools)

Part of the ISB is delegated to meet the needs of pupils who have Special Educational Needs. The amount is allocated according to the school's pupils':

• eligibility for free school meals- 75% of the total funding is based on this factor
• mobility - 10% of the total funding is based on this factor
• gender - the remaining 15% of the total funding is based on the number of pupils in the school. The funding is weighted in favour of male pupils (1.62:1) in recognition of the higher number of male pupils with statements

This money is used for pupils who are on the SEN register at the levels of School Action or School Action Plus and for pupils with a High Incidence Statement of Special Educational Need. Schools will receive additional funding for pupils with a Low Incidence Statement or who have a Statement and live outside Hackney.

Related Material:
Government's Teachernet