EY: SENIF documents

Dear Early Year Providers

We are pleased to inform you that we have updated the Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Funding (SENIF) application process to make it simpler and easier. 

The changes include:

• banding has been re-labelled A and B

• increased funding resulting in
  • Band A: £1750
  • Band B: £3000

• exceptional circumstances introduced for Band C. Contact the Early Years Advisors to apply

• parental consent forms will only be needed once per year

• re-applying with no change option added where you will not need to resend evidence

• only one application window per term

• application time increased for this term only to 20^th October - 7^th November
  (the application window for this term has been extended to support these changes).

Early years advisors email contacts:

• [email protected]
• [email protected]
• [email protected]

SENIF documents:

The SENIF can be given to providers to support the needs of children with SEND. Eligibility criteria apply.

See below the current SENIF documents to use, with an explanation

SENIF Criteria Document

This document sets out the SENIF Criteria Document 2025/26. It also contains important information on the new extended entitlements and the application window dates to apply. 

SENIF application form

This document is the application and audit form, please save this using the following format ‘your school/ setting name_ term applied for’ (e.g. ABC nursery_Autumn 2025). Please fill this out with as much detail as possible and return to the team when an application window is open: SENIF application form

SENIF Consent Form
We expect all parents/carers to have read and signed this consent form if you are applying for SENIF for their child, please send this to us along with the application spreadsheet: SENIF Consent Form

SENIF Target Monitoring Evaluation Form
Complete the Target monitoring form (TMER) for every application you make whether that is a new application, or you are reapplying. Make sure you are completing this every term to provide evidence of the impact. This should be input into the TMER tab when completing the application: SENIF Target Monitoring Evaluation Form

SENIF Process and Flowchart

This contains a summary of the SENIF process and the different steps to take whether making a new application or reapplying with no change: SENIF Process and Flowchart

Please send all correspondence relating to SENIF (this includes applications and queries) to [email protected]