The Schools Forum of Enfield Council met on Monday 23 March 2026 to discuss the proposed funding formula for early years education and the Scheme for Financing Schools for the upcoming academic year. The meeting also included updates on the Dedicated Schools Grant and various school support services.

Early Years Consultation and Final Rates 2026/27

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the proposed local early years funding formula for 2026/27, which was presented by Mr Nick Basye. The consultation document, published on 16 January 2026, received 15 responses from providers, childminders, schools, and academies. A key proposal was to increase the pass-through rate requirements for funding entitlements from 96% to 97%. This increase would apply separately to funding for children aged 9 months to 2 years (including those of working parents and disadvantaged families) and for 3 and 4-year-olds (universal and additional hours).

The report detailed proposed unit rates for 3 and 4-year-olds, with the basic hourly rate per child increasing from £6.28 to £6.76, and for 2-year-olds, the basic hourly rate increasing from £9.40 to £9.69. For children aged 9 months to 2 years, the basic hourly rate was set to increase from £13.21 to £13.61. The report noted that the indicative Early Years Block allocation within the Dedicated Schools Grant for 2026/27 is £52,715,496. The Schools Forum was asked to consider and confirm its agreement to these proposed changes.

Scheme for Financing Schools 2026/27

Mr Nick Basye also presented the proposed review of the Scheme for Financing Schools for implementation on 1 April 2026. This review aimed to ensure alignment with statutory Department for Education (DfE) guidance, reflect best practice in school financial management, and maintain consistency with other relevant Council policies.

Key updates to the scheme included clarifications and amendments in areas such as licensed deficit agreements, controls on surplus balances, and the basis of accounting. The consultation with maintained schools on these revisions commenced on 27 February 2026 and closed on 13 March 2026. Feedback from this consultation was to be analysed, and the scheme updated accordingly. The revised Scheme was scheduled for presentation to the Schools Forum for approval on 23 March 2026. The report also highlighted that the School Forum maintained school members had requested a brief summary of all proposed changes, which was provided. Additionally, an update of the Finance Manual, last produced in 2022, was deemed necessary, and confirmation was sought that procurement rules had been updated.

Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Q3 Funding Update

Ms Melissa Williamson, Strategic Finance Manager, provided an update on the 2025/26 Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). The report indicated no change to the DSG allocations published in January 2026. However, it highlighted a forecast overspend of £5.582 million on the DSG High Needs Block for the 2025/26 period, representing an increase of £1.111 million compared to the previous forecast, bringing the cumulative DSG deficit forecast to £23 million. This increase in the high needs overspend was primarily attributed to rising costs in SEND post-16 provision and support. The report also mentioned the national reform of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, with the White Paper released on 23 February, and noted that the potential financial impact of any proposed changes would be further considered. In response to questions, it was clarified that the High Needs overspend was due to out-of-borough provision, independent school provision, non-Enfield school provision, and home tuition costs.

Other Items

The meeting also included a review of the Schools Forum's workplan. Under Any Other Business, concerns were raised by Mr Byron Russell, School Business Manager, regarding council service cost increases, specifically a 13% rise in services like Waste & Recycling with little prior notification. Mr Peter Nathan was to raise this with council officers for clarity. Additionally, the issue of late SEN payments to schools was discussed, with assurances sought and given that no interest would be charged to schools experiencing such delays, and that payment backlogs would be rectified with the addition of a new member of staff in the SEN Finance Team.

The agenda also listed future meetings for the Schools Forum, with the next scheduled for 8 July 2026.