Early Years SEND funding

All schools and settings are expected to follow a graduated approach to identify and meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Many children will make good progress within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum via Inclusive Quality First Teaching, or with some additional support from within the school or early education setting’s own resources.

There will be a small number of children who may require additional support to access their early education and childcare place. Information about which children might be eligible can be found in the early years section of the Graduated Approach Guidance.

If you are a parent/carer and are worrried about your child's progress, your first step should be to speak to your child's school or early years setting, such as a nursery, preschool playgroup or childminder. Get more information about what to do if you are worried about your child's progress on our SEND Local Offer.

Find out more about the different types of financial support available to early education providers to support children to access their early education place. This providers information of how early education settings are able to apply for this support via our early years special educational needs panel: 

• Transition Grants to support transition during an induction period or from one setting to another or within a setting. 
• Early Education SEND Support Grants to support early education provision ensuring a child can access their statutory early education entitlement.  
• Disability Access Fund additional funding for providers to support 3 and 4 year old children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to access their funded early education entitlement.
• Early Years Nursery Assessment Places. Trafford has a small number of specialist early education places available for children who would benefit from specialist provision. 

All applications are reviewed by the multiagency Early Years SEND Panel which meets every month. The panel will agree the level of funding based on the child's needs. As the children are still at the early stages of development, funding will be allocated on a short term basis and reviewed regularly. Applications and all supporting information must be submitted by the deadline date below. Any incomplete applications or applications received after the deadline date will be reviewed at the next panel meeting.