Dedicated schools grant: very high deficit intervention
High needs reforms and savings targets have been agreed for local authorities with the highest dedicated school grant deficits.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
The safety valve programme closed on 1 April 2026 and local authorities are no longer being held to these agreements. It has been replaced by the high needs stability grant.
These agreements with local authorities set out the high needs reforms and savings targets they must follow to eliminate their historic deficits and function sustainably in future.
We have issued:
- 4 in the 2023 to 2024 financial year
- 20 in the 2022 to 2023 financial year
- 9 in the 2021 to 2022 financial year
- 5 in the 2020 to 2021 financial year
Guidance about the dedicated schools grant conditions for all local authorities is also available.
High needs funding is funding for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) who need extra support at school or college or in alternative provision settings.
Updates to this page
Published 19 March 2021
Last updated 211 MarchApril 2024
+ show2026
href="#full-history">+ show all updates
-
Update history
2026-04-10 11:39
Corrected the additional payment made from DfE to Hillingdon in 2022 to 2023 financial year from 11.04 million to 11.40 million.
2026-04-01 16:04
Updated as programme has been closed and replaced with the high needs stability grant.
2024-03-21 16:00
Added 4 new agreements for the 2023 to 2024 financial year. Updated Bury and Kirklees’ agreements as we have reviewed and extended the agreements. Updated Bath and North East Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Hillingdon and Norfolk as they are currently under review.
2023-05-15 10:00
‘Safety valve’ agreements for Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Rotherham, Salford, South Gloucestershire, Surrey and York have been updated, following a change in their funding profiles. There has been no change in the total funding connected with any ‘safety valve’ agreement.
2023-03-16 09:30
Added dedicated schools grant ‘safety valve’ agreements for 2022-2023.
2022-03-24 13:30
Added safety valve agreements for Dorset, Hillingdon, Kirklees, Merton, Rotherham, Salford, South Gloucestershire, Surrey and York.
Details
The safety valve programme closed on 1 April 2026 and local authorities are no longer being held to these agreements. It has been replaced by the high needs stability grant.
These agreements with local authorities set out the high needs reforms and savings targets they must follow to eliminate their historic deficits and function sustainably in future.
We have issued:
- 4 in the 2023 to 2024 financial year
- 20 in the 2022 to 2023 financial year
- 9 in the 2021 to 2022 financial year
- 5 in the 2020 to 2021 financial year
Guidance about the dedicated schools grant conditions for all local authorities is also available.
High needs funding is funding for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) who need extra support at school or college or in alternative provision settings.
Updates to this page
Published 19 March 2021
Last updated 211 MarchApril 2024
+ show2026
href="#full-history">+ show all updates
-
Update history
2026-04-10 11:39
Corrected the additional payment made from DfE to Hillingdon in 2022 to 2023 financial year from 11.04 million to 11.40 million.
2026-04-01 16:04
Updated as programme has been closed and replaced with the high needs stability grant.
2024-03-21 16:00
Added 4 new agreements for the 2023 to 2024 financial year. Updated Bury and Kirklees’ agreements as we have reviewed and extended the agreements. Updated Bath and North East Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Hillingdon and Norfolk as they are currently under review.
2023-05-15 10:00
‘Safety valve’ agreements for Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Rotherham, Salford, South Gloucestershire, Surrey and York have been updated, following a change in their funding profiles. There has been no change in the total funding connected with any ‘safety valve’ agreement.
2023-03-16 09:30
Added dedicated schools grant ‘safety valve’ agreements for 2022-2023.
2022-03-24 13:30
Added safety valve agreements for Dorset, Hillingdon, Kirklees, Merton, Rotherham, Salford, South Gloucestershire, Surrey and York.
Details
The safety valve programme closed on 1 April 2026 and local authorities are no longer being held to these agreements. It has been replaced by the high needs stability grant.
These agreements with local authorities set out the high needs reforms and savings targets they must follow to eliminate their historic deficits and function sustainably in future.
We have issued:
- 4 in the 2023 to 2024 financial year
- 20 in the 2022 to 2023 financial year
- 9 in the 2021 to 2022 financial year
- 5 in the 2020 to 2021 financial year
Guidance about the dedicated schools grant conditions for all local authorities is also available.
High needs funding is funding for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) who need extra support at school or college or in alternative provision settings.
Updates to this page
Update history
2026-04-10 11:39
Corrected the additional payment made from DfE to Hillingdon in 2022 to 2023 financial year from 11.04 million to 11.40 million.
2026-04-01 16:04
Updated as programme has been closed and replaced with the high needs stability grant.
2024-03-21 16:00
Added 4 new agreements for the 2023 to 2024 financial year. Updated Bury and Kirklees’ agreements as we have reviewed and extended the agreements. Updated Bath and North East Somerset, Cambridgeshire, Dorset, Hillingdon and Norfolk as they are currently under review.
2023-05-15 10:00
‘Safety valve’ agreements for Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Rotherham, Salford, South Gloucestershire, Surrey and York have been updated, following a change in their funding profiles. There has been no change in the total funding connected with any ‘safety valve’ agreement.
2023-03-16 09:30
Added dedicated schools grant ‘safety valve’ agreements for 2022-2023.
2022-03-24 13:30
Added safety valve agreements for Dorset, Hillingdon, Kirklees, Merton, Rotherham, Salford, South Gloucestershire, Surrey and York.