Spring cohort summary submission deadline of Friday 16th January 2026
Early Years Inclusion Funding
Transition To
Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding From January 2026
What is Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding?
Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding (SENIF) is allocated to promote the inclusion of children within a pre-5 setting who may require additional / different provision due to their Special Educational Need and/or Disability (SEND). This funding also
supports local authorities to undertake their responsibilities to strategically commission SEND services as required under the Children and Families Act 2014. Local authorities are expected to target their Early Years SEND Inclusion Funds at children with
lower-level emerging SEND. ‘Emerging SEND’ is not defined within the DfE’s guidance. We define this as children, assessed as requiring any SEND Support who do not have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). At the point an EHCP is put in place for a child,
the resources allocated via this EHCP will replace SENIF funding.
Why the change?
We know that early identification and the right support at the right time is essential for children with SEND to thrive. The processes for early years inclusion funding were streamlined and amended to enable less time required for paperwork and to ensure
the application process was manageable and therefore to have a positive impact on the children applied for.
A yearlong pilot successfully demonstrated that a change in processes was encouraging and gained positive feedback from the pilot providers.
Some of the benefits described were:
- Less time on paperwork, more time conducting intervention support with children.
- 1 cohort application per term, funding itemised per child so any changes can be easily tracked.
- Cohort funding informed as £’s not percentages to allow more effective staffing/provision planning.
- From submission to payment, all aspects including funding amounts will be detailed on the one document per term.
How?
No longer the need for lengthy narratives or provision mapping – by agreeing to the terms on the provider declaration, it is entrusted that you are applying for SENIF in good faith, true to the needs of the child and when all other funding
streams have been exhausted.
Introduction of a termly model opposed to monthly applications and panels, partly so that funding per provider is transparent across the financial year and easy to track any changes required or to aid responding to any queries.
One page application per provider, per term (cohort summary) for the children eligible and funding applied for.
Children will continue to be individually assessed so that progress/impact can be monitored.
Assessment levels and accompanying evidence (EYDJ summary sheet) are used to enable moderation by the panel that the children applied for do meet the criteria for SENIF.
Introduction to a banding model enables providers to work out themselves what funding will be provided (assuming eligibility checks are confirmed) for which enables the enhancement of staffing being more effectively planned.
Submissions will be promptly reviewed at the deadline date so that an indication of each child being agreed or declined for funding can be returned to the provider.
SENIF will be provided from the beginning of each term, regardless of the deadline date for submission or when the eligibility checks from the census date can be confirmed.
Next Steps
Start by reading the below documents/guidance as this will provide you with the criteria for SENIF and top tips of how to fulfil a successful application.
What to consider before applying for Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding January 2026
Guidance to apply for Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding January 2026
Parental Consent
Provider Declaration
Cohort Summary Application Document
SENIF Processing Timeline including submission dates
Banding Model
Practice Guide to the Early Years Developmental Journal
Bradford Matrix of Need
Early Years SEN Progress Grid