Support from educational settings - Ordinarily Available Provision
A great majority of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities should have their needs effectively met through high-quality teaching and SEND support arrangements within mainstream settings.
Hillingdon Ordinarily Available Provision (PDF, 1 MB) outlines the indicative arrangements that should be ordinarily available for pupils with SEND (from within schools' delegated budget shares).
Early Support Funding (ESF)
Hillingdon uses the ESF process to allocate short-term high needs block funding to schools for pupils without an EHCP who have significant additional needs beyond the SEND notional budget.
Find out more in our Early Support Funding Guidance (PDF, 554 KB).
Education settings can refer into our services via our Education Portal.
Read our ESF application portal guidance (PDF, 538 KB) to learn how to make a referral.
Early Identification Toolkit
The Early Identification Toolkit (PDF, 790 KB) is a helpful resource for professionals who work with children and young people. It's designed to make it easier to spot early signs that a child might need extra support - especially around special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
It includes easy-to-use guidance, checklists, and tools to help with early observations, assessments, and conversations with families. Support can be put in place sooner, helping children get the help they need before things get more difficult.
By working together and acting early, the toolkit helps improve outcomes for children across education, health, and social care.
Early Years SEN Inclusion Funding (SENIF)
Early Years SENIF funding supports eligible children to access early education and promotes inclusive practice by meeting individual needs. It can be used flexibly for staff training, specialist resources, or additional staffing.
The SENIF framework, descriptors, and application and evaluation forms are aligned with the DfE Early Years Assessment Tool for the four areas of SEND, which has been adapted to include a comment section to aid settings in its use.
Find out more in our Early Years SEN Inclusion Funding (SENIF) Framework (PDF, 715 KB).
Education settings can refer into our services via our Education Portal.
Read our SENIF application portal guidance (PDF, 450 KB) to learn how to make a referral.
Parent and carer training
The SEND Advisory Service and Family Hubs offer virtual and in-person training to support parents and carers of children with SEND.
Sessions cover topics such as:
- autism
- sensory needs
- early development
- transitions.
The training aims to provide practical strategies, peer support, and professional guidance.. Booking details, course descriptions, and contact information are available in our parent training brochure (PDF, 578 KB).
Children with significant difficulties
Some children and young people who have significant difficulties may require an Education Health Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA). The assessment is completed by a relevant professional in consultation with the parent/carer(s) and determines whether the child or young person needs an Education, Health and Care Plan.
Please note: If you are a professional and would like to know more about statutory and non-statutory funding and how to apply, visit our non-statutory funding page.