The Gloucestershire Schools Forum is scheduled to meet on Friday 5 December 2025, to discuss school funding for 2026/27, high needs funding, and the work of the F40 group¹. The meeting will be held in person at Shire Hall, Gloucester, and will also be available to view remotely.

High Needs Funding

The forum is expected to receive an update on the forecast for the 2025/26 High Needs block². The High Needs block forecast for November 2025 is expected to be in line with anticipated expenditure, with a forecast overspend of £44.673m, an increase of £87k since the last meeting.

The report pack indicates that movements in forecasts compared to budget are expected to be in line with the previous reporting period, with an underspend across alternative provision spend, due to a reduction in the forecast for Hospital Education, and increased expenditure in special school provision costs for bespoke packages and top-up funding.

The forum is also expected to review the updated 5-year plan, noting the impact of increased specialist placements on independent school budgets.

The number of Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) is expected to be discussed. The council now supports 7,229 EHCPs at a rate of 40.29 per 1,000 children and young people. In the period 2019 to 2025, the rate of EHCP support has doubled. In the academic year 2024/25, needs assessment requests rose to 1,729, an increase of 12.86% compared to the prior year. Initial requests received in the new academic year are marginally up on the same point in 2024/25 (3.4%), but this shows no sign of demand for support levelling off.

The forum is also expected to discuss national reforms to the SEND system. The report pack notes that the DfE confirmed the extension of the statutory override until 2028, a mechanism to reduce the immediate risk of local authorities declaring a section 114 notice.

The forum is expected to note the government's decision to fund the full cost of SEND provision from with central government spending from 2028-29 .

The forum is also expected to review initial responses to the schools financial survey.

School Funding 2026/27

The Schools Forum is scheduled to discuss school funding for 2026/27. According to the report pack, Councillor Linda Cohen, Cabinet Member for Education & Skills, confirmed the publication of the provisional funding allocations for mainstream schools and local authorities in 2026/27 through the schools and central school services National Funding Formulas (NFFs) on 19 November 2025.

High Needs and Early Years allocations have not yet been published. The DfE have stated that the publication of 2026/27 High Needs allocations will follow by the end of the year. It is anticipated that the Early Years 2026/27 allocations will be issued as usual in December 2025.

The indicative 2026/27 Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) block allocations that have been announced are:

The final position for these DSG blocks will be presented at the 15th January 2026 Schools Forum meeting after being updated for the revised pupil data due to be announced in December 2025.

The forum is expected to agree the growth fund top-slice of the schools block for 2026/27. In line with DfE requirements, the growth fund is top sliced from the schools block of the DSG to provide funding for new classes required as a result of a shortage of basic need places and for start-up costs for any new schools opening in the year. On current information and using the 2026/27 NFF Basic Need Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) rates, the growth fund needed for 2026/27 is £0.429m.

The Schools Forum members are expected to support the Local Authority's disapplication request to the DfE for the continued application of the exceptional circumstances factor in the 2026/27 financial year. This applies to rents and leases for premises or facilities that are intrinsic to the school's operation, such as ground rent for the school itself, or the use of a village hall, or playing field. There are nine schools that meet the conditions for exceptional circumstances. The total amount to be funded in 2026/27 through the application of the 'exceptional circumstances' disapplication request is £0.154m.

The Schools Forum is expected to agree to utilise any surplus remaining in the schools block to support the Targeted SEN support model. If there is any shortfall in the funding needed, it will be covered by reducing all NFF factor rates (except the Minimum Per Pupil Level (MPPL)) by the same percentage.

The forum members are expected to consider and approve de-delegation at the per pupil rates shown for:

• in-year increases in pupil numbers (primary)
• union facilities (primary)
• targeted intervention (primary)
• targeted intervention (secondary)

The Schools Forum is expected to agree that the Notional SEN formula remains unchanged for 2026/27.

F40 Group

The forum is expected to receive an update on the work of the F40 Group, the focus of which continues to be on influencing the direction of the funding policy. The report pack notes that the Group has been involved in giving evidence to the Education Select Committee, an MPs briefing in Westminster, a meeting with the now former School Standards Minister, writing to the new School Standards Minister, and a survey of f40 member authorities to ascertain their current and forecast financial position.