The Camden Council Schools Forum met on Tuesday 4 November 2025 to discuss the school funding formula, the Schools Forum work programme, and other business. The meeting included a review of responses to a consultation on school funding, and a discussion of the Schools Forum's work programme and action tracker. The forum also scheduled the election of a chair and vice-chair for the 2025-26 academic year.

School Funding Formula Consultation

The Schools Forum was scheduled to discuss the responses to a consultation regarding the local school funding formula for 2026/27. The consultation document, which was issued to schools on 24 September, proposed that there should be no changes to the local formula for 2026/27, subject to any statutory requirements from the Department for Education (DfE).

The report pack included a summary of the responses received from schools. According to the report, responses were received from four schools, representing a 7% overall response rate.

The overall response from respondent schools showed that 100% (7 schools) supported or had no further view on the proposal and 0% and (0 schools) disagreed. None of these had any additional comments to this question. Given this response from those schools that responded, combined with the lower level of total responses being taken as the general overall endorsement - the authority is recommending approval.

One school provided a commented response, requesting stability in light of the confirmation of national policy and allocations later in the autumn term. The school also asked for maximised protection for mainstream schools within the statutory framework, for the Minimum Funding Guarantee¹ to be set at the most protective level permitted for 2026-27, and for the continuation of the falling rolls mechanism².

Schools Forum Work Programme and Action Tracker

The Schools Forum was scheduled to review its work programme and action tracker. The work programme outlines the key reports that officers intend to submit to the Schools Forum during the 2025/26 school year. The action tracker provides an update on actions requested at previous meetings.

The work programme included the following items:

• Consideration of responses from primary and secondary schools in relation to proposals regarding the local funding formula for schools for 2026/27.
• Indication of the notional National Funding Formula (NFF) figures to be allocated to the overall schools budget.
• Initial forecasts of the High Needs DSG outturn³, future budgets requirements planned DSG spending.
• Initial forecasts of the 2025/26 Early Years DSG outturn, future budgets requirements planned DSG spending.
• Annual School Places Planning Paper providing the latest forecasts of pupil demand within Camden.
• Update on School Sufficiency Implementation Plan.
• Update on the work of the High Needs Block Subgroup and HNB Review.
• Update on School Food.

Other Business

The agenda also included:

• Election of a Chair and Vice-Chair for the 2025-26 academic year.
• Apologies for absence.
• Declarations of interest.
• Announcements.
• Approval of the minutes of the meeting held on 18 September 2025. The minutes from the September 18 meeting are available online.
• Notification of any items of urgent business.
• Note of the Schools Forum membership list and any updates. The Schools Forum Membership List is available online.
• Note of future meeting dates: 2 December 2025, 3 February 2026 and 2 June 2026.