The Schools Forum of Hounslow Council met on Monday, 19 January 2026, to discuss the financial outlook for schools in the borough. Key agenda items included the 2026/27 budget allocations for the Schools Block, Central Schools Services, and Early Years provision, alongside updates on the 2025/26 budget monitoring.

Finance Update

The meeting was scheduled to receive an update on the 2025/26 budget monitoring, providing an overview of the current financial position. Additionally, the provisional Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) allocation for 2026/27 was to be presented. This provisional allocation details the expected funding for the upcoming academic year across different blocks, including the Schools Block, Central Schools Services Block, and the Early Years Block. The Schools Block is projected to see a 3.08% increase, while the Early Years Block is expected to grow by 15.76%. The High Needs Block is also anticipated to increase by 5.67%.¹

2026/27 DSG Schools Block Budget

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the proposed 2026/27 Schools Block Budget. This included discussions on the principles of the Hounslow schools funding formula for the upcoming year, which are intended to align with the National Funding Formula (NFF). Recommendations were to be considered regarding the factor values, provisional funding allocations for each school, and the decision not to set a growth fund for 2026/27. The budget for falling rolls was proposed at £428,378, and the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) was recommended to be set at 0%.² The Age Weighted Pupil Unit (AWPU) for 2026/27 was proposed to be set at the NFF rate, and a transfer of 0.17% from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block was recommended. The report also detailed the proposed de-delegation of budgets for services such as the administration of free school meals, trade union facility time, and schools improvement services. A central charge of £568,184 was also proposed to cover the cost of statutory school support services provided by the Council.³

2026/27 Central Schools Services Budget

The meeting was scheduled to review the proposed budget for the Central Schools Services Block (CSSB) for 2026/27. This block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is intended to fund the Council's statutory duties for both maintained schools and academies. The proposed budget of £1,982,969 covers functions such as copyright licenses, strategic management for finance and children's services, school admissions and place planning, education welfare, and the servicing of the Schools Forum.⁴

2026/27 Early Years Budget and Hourly Rates

Discussions were planned regarding the 2026/27 Early Years budget and hourly rates. This included an update on the full integration of expanded Early Years entitlements, such as the 15 funded hours for disadvantaged 2-year-olds and eligible working parents, and the 30 funded hours for eligible working parents. The report outlined proposed hourly rates for Under 2s, 2-year-olds, and 3 & 4-year-olds for 2026/27, with a projected increase in the overall Early Years block allocation of approximately £4.95m. A centrally retained budget of £1,218,837 (3% of the total allocation) was proposed to cover management, administrative, and quality assurance functions delivered by the Council's Early Years team.⁵

Actions from Previous Meetings

The forum was to review actions from previous meetings, specifically concerning Schools Block De-delegation and the HSFSP Contingency Scheme for Financing Schools, and the Scheme for Financing Schools.⁶

SEND & Alternative Provision Improvement Programme Update

An update was scheduled on the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Programme.