This meeting of the Schools Forum considered a report on the provisional Dedicated Schools Grant for the 2025/26 financial year, an update on arrangements for the procurement of school meals from April 2025 and the work programme for the remainder of the school year.

School Funding 2025/26

The school funding report was prepared to update the forum on the provisional Dedicated Schools Grant that the government intends to pay to the council to fund schools in 2025/26.

The report was prepared following a period of significant uncertainty about school funding levels, with the government delaying its final announcement of funding levels for schools. This delay was triggered by a change of government following the summer 2024 general election. The report was prepared in advance of the final funding announcement, using the most up-to-date information the government had released. The report authors noted this, saying:

This report sets out the latest information from the ESFA on the funding for the schools DSG block and seeks the forum’s approval on the amount of DSG de-delegation.

The report noted that it was prepared using the government's Summary policy document for schools and high needs national funding formula 2025/26:

The most recent guidance from the ESFA on the the 6 November 2024 was a Summary policy note for schools and high needs national funding formula 2025/26.

The report explained that, though final figures were not yet available, it was already clear that schools in Camden faced significant financial pressures, with funding failing to keep pace with inflation:

This means that since 2010 to date Camden schools will have received a cumulative total increase of 26.07% to school block DSG. With all the increases only starting from 2018/19 it is estimated that Camden schools will have suffered by 2024 a net real terms spending pressure from rising inflation alone of approximately -22% (net of the total 26.07% DSG increases between the 7 years above). This is equivalent to nearly £25m based on the current levels of schools block DSG income (as measured on the CPI, the government’s preferred measure)

The report also noted that a number of additional cost pressures were facing schools. In particular, the report authors noted the impact of rising employer National Insurance contributions:

The Budget also confirmed that employers will see their National Insurance contributions rise by 1.2 to 15 per cent from April 2025. Also, the level at which employers pay contributions on each employee’s salary would be lowered £9,100 per year to £5,000, as part of a package of tax rises expected to raise £40bn. The news had triggered concern in the education sector about the added costs this would mean for schools that already face financial pressures and a struggle to recruit and retain staff.

The report finished by noting that Camden Learning¹ would be working with schools to help them develop long term financial plans to manage these pressures.

School Meals Delivery in Schools

This report provided an update on the procurement of school meals for Camden's schools.

The current contract for the provision of school meals, with Cater Link, expires on the 31st March 2025 and the council has been seeking a new provider for these services. The report authors noted that a key factor in their decision making has been a desire to increase the amount of money that Camden's schools have to spend on other things:

Whilst schools have autonomy on the use of their budgets, the Council is supporting them in securing value for money for their contracted services.

The report confirmed that a tender process had been completed. The chosen provider was not identified, but the report confirmed that it was one of a number of experienced providers and it was chosen through a process that weighted price and quality equally.

The report concluded by stating that a report on the outcome of the process was being prepared for the council's Executive Director, Children and Learning, and that their decision would be made in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families, Councillor Marcus Boyland.

Schools Forum Work Programme and Action Tracker 2024/25

This report provided the Forum with its work programme for the remainder of the 2024/25 school year. This included details of when the forum would next meet to discuss school funding. This part of the agenda also included the action tracker for the forum, listing tasks arising from previous meetings that the council's officers had committed to undertaking.