The Wiltshire Council Schools Forum is scheduled to meet on Thursday 11 December 2025 to discuss budget monitoring, funding formulas, and grants for schools in Trowbridge. The forum will consider the Dedicated Schools Grant, the National Funding Formula, and the allocation of funding for pupil growth. They will also discuss the outcome of a consultation regarding a potential transfer of funds from the schools block to the high needs block.

Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)

The Schools Forum will receive an update on budget monitoring information for the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for the 2025-26 financial year, as of September 2025. Marie Taylor, Head of Finance – Children and Education, is expected to present the report. The report indicates a forecast overspend of £12.892 million against the overall schools budget, after a transfer of £36.513 million from the deficit reserve. The report also notes that the statutory override for DSG deficits has been extended until 31 March 2028.

The report pack includes a table summarising the DSG block, including allocations from the Department for Education (DfE), Wiltshire transfers, current annual budget, forecast outturn, and forecast outturn variance.

The report pack also breaks down the early years budgets, schools budgets, high needs budgets and central school services budgets.

High Needs Budget

The report pack highlights that the High Needs budgets are projected to overspend by £19.069m. The report pack notes that:

The biggest pressures are in named pupil allowances, additional top up support, non Wiltshire schools, independent sector provision and alternative provision, direct payments and elective home education.

The report pack also notes that the number of Education Health and Care Plans is higher than forecast.

Early Years Budget

The report pack notes that the early years budgets are projected to underspend by £5.927m, and that the DfE has introduced revenue and capital grants for providers to expand their facilities.

Central School Services Block (CSSB)

The Schools Forum will receive an update on issues relating to the Central Schools Services Block (CSSB) budget for the 2026-27 financial year. The report of Marie Taylor, Head of Finance – Children and Education, notes that the DfE has allocated a CSSB allocation of £3.056 million for Wiltshire.

The CSSB covers funding allocated to local authorities to carry out central functions on behalf of pupils in maintained schools and academies.

The report pack notes that for 2026/27, due to the 20% reduction in historic commitments, the transfer to support the high needs block is no longer affordable.

National Funding Formula (NFF)

The Schools Forum will be asked to make 'in principle' decisions regarding the Wiltshire funding formula for the 2026-27 year. Grant Davis, Schools Strategic Financial Support Manager, is scheduled to present a report updating the Schools Forum on the National Funding Formula (NFF) for 2026-27. The report pack notes that the 2026-27 year represents another year where the Government has pledged to boost schools funding, with an increase of £2.2bn into the overall Core Schools funding compared to the 2025-26 year.

The report pack notes that the main formula for the 2026-27 year is broadly similar to the formula for the 2025-26 year, however there are some changes, including:

• Rolling in of the National Insurance Employers Contribution Grant into core funding values
• Rolling in of the Schools Budget Support Grant into core funding values
• A further 2.11% increase to various funding factors
• A 1.66% uplift in the FSM factor
• Authorities not mirroring the NFF to move their local formula 10% closer to NFF
• A transfer of up to 0.5% of Schools Block funding to the High Needs Block will be permitted, subject to Schools Forum approval
• All NFF factors must be used in the formula
• The Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) must be set between -0.5% and 0%
• The Minimum per Pupil Funding Levels to be set at £5,115 in primary and £6,640 in secondary schools

The Schools Forum will be asked to decide whether to apply all the NFF factors in full, set the Minimum Funding Guarantee between -0.5% and 0%, and confirm its support for funding Exceptional Circumstances Rent.

Exceptional Circumstances - Rent

The report pack notes that Wiltshire has always supported funding schools through the 'Exceptional Circumstances – Rent' funding factor, which is used to support those schools who do not have their own hall for holding whole school events or have playing fields for their physical education activities. The report pack lists the schools that are currently supported by this funding:

• Horningsham Primary School
• Collingbourne Church of England Primary School
• Lacock Church of England Primary School
• Newton Tony Church of England Primary School
• Sutton Veny Church of England Primary School
• Box Church of England Primary School
• Bemerton St John Church of England Primary School

Allocation of Funding for Pupil Growth

The Schools Forum will be asked to agree on the methodology for allocating funding for pupil growth from the school's block growth fund in 2026-27. Grant Davis, Schools Strategic Financial Support Manager, is scheduled to present the report. The report pack notes that the growth funding forms part of the local authority's Schools Block of funding.

The proposed criteria for funding pupil growth within the local Wiltshire funding formula in 2026-27 are:

• New School Allowance
• Class Expansion for Basic Need
• Infant Class Size Increases

The Schools Forum will also consider the establishing of a Falling Rolls Fund.

Schools Block Transfer

The Schools Forum will receive an update on the outcomes of the consultation on the proposal to transfer 1% from the schools block to the high needs block in 2026/27. Liz Williams, Head of Finance, Care and Wellbeing and High Needs, is scheduled to present the report. The report pack notes that the Safety Valve agreement that the council has in place with the DfE includes an assumption of a transfer of 1% of schools block into high needs block each year from 2026/27 to 2028/29.

The report pack notes that the majority of respondents to the consultation were not in support of a transfer of funding from schools block to high needs block.

The report pack also notes that there were 105 responses to the question relating to the option to see to disapply the MPPFL, and 76 (72%) were not in favour of this option.

The Schools Forum will be asked to consider the proposed level of transfer from schools block to the high needs block in 2026/27 and whether to seek further views from schools on the principle of a transfer that does not impact on NFF values.

De-Delegation of Central Services

The Schools Forum will receive an update with the results of the recent Autumn consultations relating to the de-delegation of centrally provided services for maintained schools. Grant Davis, Schools Strategic Financial Support Manager, is scheduled to present the report. The report pack notes that the consultation regarding de-delegation took place through an online snap survey consultation, promoted through Right Choice, Heads, Governors and SBM Briefings during the Autumn term, to enable maintained schools to consider their responses.

The services being consulted as part of the 2026-27 consultation process were:

• Free School Meal Eligibility Checks
• Access Budget Planning Software Licence
• Trade Union Facilities Costs
• Maternity Costs
• Ethnic Minority Achievement Service
• Traveller Education Service
• Behaviour Support Service
• School Improvement and Effectiveness Services

The report pack notes that the results received were overwhelmingly in favour of retaining the de-delegated services in both the Primary and Secondary schools.