The Wiltshire Council Schools Forum is scheduled to meet on Thursday 11 December 2025 to discuss a range of financial issues affecting schools in the area. These include budget monitoring, Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) consultations, the national funding formula, central services school block updates, allocation of funding for pupil growth, and schools block transfer. The forum will also receive updates from working groups.

Schools Block Transfer

The Schools Forum is expected to discuss the outcome of a consultation regarding a proposal to transfer 1% of the schools block funding to the high needs block in 2026-27. According to the Schools Block Transfer 2026-27 Consultation Outcome Report, a consultation was launched because the council's Safety Valve agreement¹ with the Department for Education (DfE) includes an assumption of a 1% transfer of schools block funding into the high needs block each year from 2026/27 to 2028/29.

The consultation, which ran in November 2025, reportedly received 108 responses from 103 different schools/trusts. The report states that:

The majority of respondents were not in support of a transfer of funding from schools block to high needs block. 62% of respondents did not support a transfer of funding from the schools block to the high needs block.

Of those who did support a transfer, many did not support a 1% transfer. The consultation also asked about an option to disapply the Minimum Per Pupil Funding Level² (MPPFL), but the report notes that 72% of respondents were not in favour of this option.

The report notes that the responses to the consultation indicate a change from previous years, where schools had previously indicated support for a transfer at an affordable level that did not impact on National Funding Formula³ (NFF) values paid to schools.

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

Dedicated Schools Budget

The Schools Forum is scheduled to receive an update on the Dedicated Schools Budget - Budget Monitoring 2025-26 as of Quarter 2 (September 2025). The report includes information on the Early Years Block, Schools Budgets, High Needs Budgets, Central School Services Budgets and the DSG Reserve.

According to the report, an overspend of £12.892 million is forecast against the overall schools budget, after a transfer of £36.513 million from the deficit reserve. The report notes that the government introduced a three-year statutory override⁴ in 2020, which has now been extended until 31 March 2028.

The report notes that the largest 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 Schools Forum will be asked to note the forecast budget monitoring position, including the balance on the DSG reserve at the end of September 2025.

National Funding Formula

The Schools Forum will be asked to make 'in principle' decisions regarding the Wiltshire funding formula for 2026-27, and to receive an update on the NFF for 2026-27, according to the National Funding Formulae for Schools 2026-27 report.

The report notes that the government has pledged to boost schools funding with an increase of £2.2bn into the overall Core Schools funding compared to 2025-26. It also notes that the 2026-27 year will be another 'soft' year, with local Schools' Forum still retaining its role in determining the school funding allocation methodology.

The Schools Forum will be asked to make 'in principle' decisions on:

• Applying all the NFF factors in full
• Setting the Minimum Funding Guarantee between -0.5% and 0%
• Confirming its support for funding Exceptional Circumstances Rent
• Determining whether to transfer funding from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block

The report also mentions that Wiltshire currently supports seven primary schools with their rental funding at a total value of £59,420. These schools are Horningsham, Collingbourne, Lacock, Newton Tony, Sutton Veny, Box and Bemerton St John.

Central Services School Block

The Schools Forum is scheduled to receive an update on issues relating to the Central Schools Services Block (CSSB) budget for the 2026-27 financial year, according to the Central Schools Services Block 2026-27 update report.

The CSSB covers funding allocated to local authorities to carry out central functions on behalf of pupils in maintained schools and academies. The report notes that the DfE has allocated a CSSB allocation of £3.056 million for Wiltshire.

The Schools Forum will be asked to note the changes in the 2026-27 budget proposal for the CSSB budget.

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, according to the Allocation of Funding for Pupil Growth 2026-27 report.

The report notes that Wiltshire currently operates a growth fund, and that the current growth fund criteria have previously been confirmed as being fully compliant by the DfE. The report also notes that the School Funding Operational Guidance for 2026-27 confirms that the Growth Fund can only be used to:

• Support growth in pre-16 pupil numbers to meet basic need
• Support additional classes needed to meet the infant class size regulation
• Meet the revenue cost of new schools

The Schools Forum will be asked to approve the criteria for allocating pupil Growth Fund in 2026-27, and to agree that the budget for the Growth Fund be set at its meeting in January 2026. The Schools Forum will also be asked to give consideration to the establishing of a Falling Rolls Fund[^6] and any criteria befitting such a fund.

Dedicated Schools Grant Consultations

The Schools Forum is scheduled to receive an update on the results of the Autumn consultations relating to the de-delegation of centrally provided services for maintained schools, according to the Dedicated Schools Grant Consultations 2026-27 report.

The consultation reportedly took place through an online snap survey, promoted through Right Choice, Heads, Governors and SBM Briefings during the Autumn term. The consultations closed on 21 November 2025.

The report notes that a total of 63 responses were received, 60 responses from Primary Schools and 3 from Secondary Schools. The report also notes that the results received were overwhelmingly in favour of retaining the de-delegated services in both the Primary and Secondary schools.

The Schools Forum will be asked to note the local consultation responses and to make 'in principle' decisions in accordance with the consultation responses.

Updates from Working Groups

The Schools Forum will be asked to note the minutes/updates from the following meetings:

• Early Years Reference Group 25 November 2025
• Joint meeting of the School Funding Working Group and SEN Working Group – 26 November 2025

The minutes from the Early Years Reference Group Meeting Tuesday 25 November 2025 include discussion of the Quarter 2 Budget Monitoring Report for the Early Years Block, approach principles to setting hourly rates 2026/27, and an overview of the Best Start in Life strategy.

The minutes from the Schools Forum School Funding and SEN Working Group MS TEAMS MEETING 26 November 2025 include discussion of budget monitoring, schools block transfer consultation results, de-delegation consultation, central services schools block provisional allocation 2026/27, schools block provisional allocation 2026/27, and the growth fund.