The Wiltshire Schools Forum met virtually to discuss budget monitoring, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) transformation, and funding proposals for the upcoming financial year. The forum agreed to note the final out-turn budget monitoring position, the SEND transformation update, and the Families and Children's Transformation (FACT) Programme update. Members also approved consultation questions for maintained schools regarding budget delegation and a consultation on transferring funds from the schools block to the high needs block for 2026-27, including consulting on reducing the Minimum Per Pupil Funding Level (MPPFL).

F40 Update

Marie Taylor, Head of Finance – Children and Education, presented an update on the work of the F40 campaigning group, which comprises the 43 lowest funded local authorities in the country, including Wiltshire Council. The report highlighted the group's efforts to raise the profile of funding disparities and advocate for fairer funding for schools and SEND provisions.

Key points from the F40 update included:

• Past Activities: The F40 has been actively campaigning over the past year, including hosting a briefing for MPs in Westminster, organising a webinar on SEND, and submitting written evidence to parliamentary committees.
• Future Plans: The group plans to continue campaigning for improvements to the national funding formula, with a focus on SEND and high needs funding.
• Wiltshire's Position: Wiltshire is among the lowest funded local authorities, ranking 20th lowest for high needs funding and 18th lowest for gross Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) funding per mainstream pupil.
• Funding Disparities: Wiltshire receives significantly less funding compared to the highest funded local authorities, with a difference of 36.46% for mainstream pupils and 69.64% for high needs funding.

Councillor John Hubbard, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, Education and Skills, expressed his strong feelings about the inequality of funding, noting that some London boroughs receive three times the funding of Wiltshire. He asked for tangible evidence from schools about the impact of funding shortfalls on educational outcomes to support lobbying efforts.

Several members, including Brett Jouny, Head Teacher of Malmsbury School, offered to write to their MPs to raise awareness of the issue. There was also discussion of the need to clarify that the national funding formula has not resolved funding unfairness, particularly in relation to high needs funding, which is still based on historic spending.

The Schools Forum agreed to note the work of the F40 and consider sending letters to MPs in support of fairer funding.

Medical Needs Education and Reintegration Services (MNERS) - Traded Service Proposal

John Spring, Head of Targeted Education, presented a proposal to introduce a traded service model for the Medical Needs Education and Reintegration Services (MNERS). The proposal aims to address the increasing demand for MNERS support while ensuring the service's financial sustainability.

Key elements of the proposal:

• Service Description: MNERS provides tuition for young people unable to attend school due to medical reasons, fulfilling the council's Section 19 duty[^1]. [^1]: Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on local authorities to provide suitable education for children of compulsory school age who cannot attend school due to illness, exclusion, or other reasons.
• Increasing Demand: There has been a significant increase in demand for MNERS, with cases rising from 53 in the 2022-23 academic year to 104 to date in the current academic year.
• Proposed Charging Model: After an initial eight-week grace period, schools would be charged 50% of their Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) funding for the period a student receives MNERS support.
• Financial Impact: Based on the proposed model, the local authority could receive an estimated £126,000 per academic year.
• Rationale: The proposal aligns with Department for Education (DfE) guidance on funding following the child and is in line with practices in other local authorities. All funds generated would be reinvested in the MNERS provision.

Concerns were raised by John Hawkins, Teaching Association Representative, and Helen Carpenter, Chair of WASH and head teacher of Kingdown School, regarding the financial burden on schools, particularly given existing budget constraints. Lizzie, Early Years Representative, suggested exploring alternative models, such as a maximum contribution per school per year, and stressed the importance of incorporating the voice of the child and school in the process.

The Schools Forum noted the comments and concerns raised and requested that John Spring consider the feedback and report back with any further proposals.

Annual Schools Consultation - Transfer of funding from Schools Block to High Needs Block 2026-27

Liz Williams, Finance Lead – High Needs Sustainability, presented a report on the annual consultation regarding the potential transfer of funding from the schools block to the high needs block for the 2026-27 financial year.

Key points:

• Consultation Requirement: The council is required to consult with schools on any proposed transfer of funds between the schools block and the high needs block.
• Historical Context: In previous years, Wiltshire Council has transferred funding from the schools block to the high needs block, subject to affordability and agreement from the Schools Forum.
• Proposed Transfer: The council is considering a transfer of 1% from the schools block to the high needs block for 2026-27, in line with assumptions in the High Needs Sustainability Plan.
• Consultation Scope: The consultation will seek views on the principles and value of any block transfer, as well as the potential impact on school budgets.
• Minimum Per Pupil Funding Level (MPPFL): The consultation will also explore whether to seek permission to reduce the MPPFL, which would allow for a more equitable distribution of any funding reductions across all schools.

Ed Powe, Head Teacher at Stavarton, supported including the MPPFL question in the consultation to provide a complete picture. Stella Fowler, Primary School Governor Representative and chair of the Wiltshire Governance Network, emphasised the importance of consulting with governors as well as head teachers.

The Schools Forum agreed to include the MPPFL question in the consultation and to ensure that the consultation is accessible and widely distributed to schools and governors.

SEND Transformation Update

Ben Stevens, Inclusion, SEND and AP Transformation Lead, provided an update on the SEND Transformation Programme, highlighting progress made and challenges remaining.

Key achievements:

• Positive Tone: The first quarterly monitoring report for 2025-26 reflects a more positive tone, indicating that the plan is beginning to show results.
• EHCNA Requests: Rates of Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) requests are holding steady, which is encouraging compared to other local authorities.
• Ceasing EHCPs: There is a continued decline in the number of EHCPs ending with the child becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), which is a positive outcome for young people with SEND.

Challenges:

• EHCP Growth: The number of EHCPs has increased by 932 this year, highlighting the need for further work to stabilise the system.
• Safety Valve Agreement: The government has declined to extend the Safety Valve agreement, but is comfortable with the council extending its plan.

John Hawkins, Teaching Association Representative, questioned how the outcomes for children not receiving EHCPs would be measured. Lissy Bolton, Deputy CEO of Equimede Learning Trust, raised concerns about the representation of resource base colleagues on the System of Excellence Steering Group and the rollout of Partnerships in Inclusion in Neurodiversity (PINS).

Catherine Davis, Director of Education and Skills for Wiltshire Council, acknowledged the need to measure the experiences of children and families, as well as educational outcomes. She confirmed that John Hawkins had been representing resource base head teachers on the System of Excellence Steering Group and that a new representative would be sought.

The Schools Forum noted the update on the SEND Transformation Programme.

Families and Children's Transformation (FACT) Programme Update

Simon Thomas, FACT Lead, provided a brief update on the FACT Programme, focusing on completed projects and forthcoming transformation work.

Key highlights:

• Family Help Projects: The family help projects, focused on early intervention and prevention, have been successfully transferred into business as usual.
• Transitional Safeguarding: Work has been done to address gaps in services for young people vulnerable to exploitation as they transition into adulthood.
• Future Focus: The programme will now focus on responding to the Wellbeing Schools Bill, Families First Partnership Programme, NHS integration, and forthcoming SEND reforms.

Lizzie, Early Years Representative, highlighted the critical role of this work in improving attendance, which is a key government priority.

The Schools Forum noted the update on the FACT Programme.

Annual Schools Consultation - De-Delegation of Central Expenditure 2026-27

Grant Davis, Schools Strategic Financial Support Manager, presented the annual consultation on de-delegation of central expenditure for 2026-27. This consultation applies to maintained schools only and seeks their views on whether to de-delegate funding for various central services.

The Schools Forum agreed on the consultation questions for maintained schools regarding the delegation/de-delegation of budgets for central services within the schools block.

Other Business

The Schools Forum also:

• Approved the minutes of the previous meeting.
• Noted updates from working groups.
• Confirmed future meeting dates, with a change to the October meeting date to avoid a clash with the WASH conference.