The Schools' Forum of Northumberland Council met on Wednesday 01 July 2026 to discuss the financial framework for maintained schools, the operational governance of the forum itself, and the funding for mainstream schools' Special Educational Needs (SEN) top-up provisions. The meeting's agenda included a review of the Scheme for Financing Maintained Schools for the upcoming academic year, proposed updates to the Schools Forum's Terms of Reference, and an examination of the current SEN top-up funding model.

Scheme for Financing Maintained Schools 2026/27

A key item for discussion was the proposed Scheme for Financing Maintained Schools for the academic year commencing 1 September 2026. Local authorities are mandated to publish such schemes annually, outlining the financial relationship between the authority and the schools it maintains. This scheme is reviewed in consultation with schools and the Schools Forum. The report indicated that the draft scheme for 2026/27 had been circulated for consultation, with no comments received. Minor changes were proposed to clarify procurement procedures, aligning them with the Council Constitution and Financial Regulations for Schools. No substantive changes or directed revisions from the Secretary of State were anticipated for the 2026/27 academic year. The report highlighted that the format and content of the scheme are largely dictated by the requirements of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), but that collaborative work with schools to address potential issues would continue.

Schools Forum Operations and Governance

The Schools Forum was scheduled to consider its operational and governance arrangements in light of the latest legislation and guidance from the ESFA. The report noted that national regulations govern the operation of schools forums, with powers to meet remotely having been extended indefinitely. The guidance from the Department for Education (DfE), which now holds responsibility following the closure of the ESFA, had not been updated since 2021. The forum was invited to consider its current operations and agree to revised Terms of Reference. These proposed revisions aimed to reflect suggested additional representation for Maintained Special Schools and adjust membership numbers for mainstream maintained and academy schools. A detailed analysis of pupil numbers and current membership was presented, indicating a need to rebalance representation to ensure it more effectively reflected the profile of education provision across the local authority. Specifically, it was proposed to increase the number of places for maintained special schools from two to three to better reflect the growth in special school pupils. The report also noted that representation from the Roman Catholic Diocese and other areas was being pursued.

Mainstream Schools SEN Top Up Funding

The meeting was set to receive an update on the review of Mainstream School SEN Top Up funding, a workstream overseen by the High Needs Spend Control Board. Previous reports on this matter had been presented to the Schools Forum and its High Needs Committee subgroup. The report highlighted that the banding classification for mainstream schools had not been reviewed for several years, despite a significant increase in the number and complexity of cases for which this funding is used. A comparative table showed a substantial increase in the number of pupils receiving top-up funding between Spring Term 2019 and Spring Term 2026, with particularly large increases in the higher banding levels. The objectives of the review included greater clarity and transparency in the banding system, a reduction in exceptional funding requests, and ensuring fair and even distribution of banding levels. The proposal included revised descriptors and financial allocations for each band, with an extension of the banding to £18,000 to accommodate a majority of current Band 8 bespoke packages. The implementation plan involved consulting with schools in the Autumn Term, with the aim of facilitating a seamless transfer between banding structures and avoiding any reductions in funding.

Maintained School Balances

The Schools Forum was also to be informed of the position regarding Maintained School Balances as at 31 March 2026. The report indicated that overall balances held by maintained schools had fallen significantly during the 2025/26 financial year. This trend was observed across all phases of schools, with a notable decrease in total balances from £4.686 million to £2.135 million for the 90 schools that remained maintained throughout the year. The report noted that this overall trend masked significant differences between individual schools and phases. The document also referenced the Department for Education's Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool, which provides data on school financial performance.

2021/22 Work Programme and Meeting Dates

The provisional work programme and meeting dates for the Schools Forum were also to be reviewed. This included scheduled meetings for July, September, November, January, and February, with specific topics outlined for each. The next meeting was confirmed to be held on Wednesday 30 September 2026 via Teams.