Allocating Resources for Learning Support

This study concerns the ways in which learning support resources are allocated to secondary schools. It draws on data supplied by an urban education authority. The measures available were school roll; a socioeconomic variable based on free schools meals entitlement; a direct audit of cognitive learning needs; a direct audit of behavioural/emotional difficulties. The relationship between these variables are examined, this found the last three correlate fairly well at school level, though only the socioeconomic has a significant relationship with school size. The policy implications of these results are discussed. It is argued that, while a rationale allocating resources on the basis of socioeconomic indices can be constructed, it is preferable to base such decisions on a combination of standardized test of attainment and direct audits of types of special needs.