The Devon Education Forum is scheduled to meet on Wednesday 17 June 2026 to discuss a range of important updates and reports concerning the county's education system. Key topics include the latest on inclusion and learning initiatives, a comprehensive finance update, and reports from various standing groups.

Inclusion and Learning Update

A significant portion of the meeting is expected to focus on the Inclusion and Learning Update, as detailed in report DEF/26/09. This report outlines the ongoing development of Devon's SEND Reform Plan, which aims to deliver sustainable improvements to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system. The plan has received positive feedback from Department for Education (DfE) advisers, who noted its strong strategic coherence and a clear focus on early intervention and mainstream inclusion.

A key element of this update is the Experts at Hand offer, a new initiative designed to provide mainstream settings with earlier access to specialist advice and support from professionals such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists. This will be implemented in phases, starting with a universal offer to all schools and a targeted support offer in pilot areas. The pilot areas will be chosen to reflect Devon's diverse contexts, including those with high levels of child poverty, SEND demand, increased absence and exclusion pressures, and a disproportionate use of independent placements. The aim is to generate learning that can be scaled across the system to improve inclusion, attendance, EHCP demand, family experience, teacher wellbeing, demand for specialist placements, and transport costs.

The report also addresses the 0.5% Schools Block funding transfer to the High Needs Block. Following discussions at the March 2026 meeting, it was agreed that this funding would not be transferred back to schools but would be invested to tackle system pressures and deliver wider benefits. Next steps include developing a proposal for this funding, likely focusing on the expertise of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), and submitting the SEND Reform Plan to the DfE.

Furthermore, progress on Devon's Inclusion Strategy, developed in partnership with Olive Academies Trust, will be reviewed. This strategy involves a visioning workshop, the establishment of a Devon Advisory Board for Inclusion, and engagement with over 30 schools and settings. The next steps involve agreeing system-wide priorities and workstreams and securing collective leadership.

The update will also cover the phased implementation of Devon's new High Needs Funding Framework, designed to support clearer, fairer, and more consistent decisions about top-up funding for children and young people with an Education Health & Care Plan (EHCP). This new framework links funding closely to the overall profile of need and will apply to new requests for EHC needs assessments from May 2026 onwards. Training for SENCOs and the use of the new framework for children under assessment are key upcoming actions.

Finally, the report highlights positive progress in school attendance, with DfE acknowledgement of Devon's improvements. An Attendance Strategy and Action Plan have been co-constructed, and a Devon Attendance Strategy Group and Network have been established. The inaugural Devon Attendance Conference is scheduled for 18 June. The next steps include ratifying Devon's Attendance Policy and publicising it alongside the Strategy and Core Offer documents.

Finance Update

The Finance Update, presented jointly by the Director of Finance and Public Value and the Interim Director of Children and Young People's Futures (DEF/26/10), will provide a detailed overview of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) outturn position for 2025/26. The report indicates an overall DSG overspend of £59.7 million, with a net in-year overspend of £15.6 million against the budgeted £44 million.

Key areas contributing to in-year pressures include SEN Mainstream, which saw an overspend of £10.8 million due to an increase in Plus Packages and undeliverable savings. Tutoring also contributed to the pressure, with 87 pupils over budget. Independent Special Schools faced a pressure of £4 million, attributed to an increase in learners over budget, reflecting insufficient local placements and reduced parental confidence in mainstream provision.

The report details the closure of the Safety Valve Programme and the introduction of the High Needs Stability Grant. This grant will cover 90% of the deficit identified at 31 March 2026, subject to the approval of the Local SEND Reform Plan. Devon will need to contribute the remaining 10% of the balance, amounting to £26.9 million. From 2028/29, SEND spending is expected to be covered within the Government's DEL budget, meaning local authorities will not fund future SEND costs from general funds.

The report also includes data on EHCPs, showing a total of 10,541 as at March 2026, with average costs rising. The proportion of Devon learners within Independent Special Schools has increased to 12.72%. The report will also cover the DSG deficit, which stands at £176.5 million, and the High Needs Stability Grant, detailing the expected contributions and the overall deficit.

Standing (and other) Groups

The Forum will receive updates from its standing and other groups. This includes the minutes from the School Organisation, Capital and Admissions Group (SOCA) meeting held on 19 May 2026. The SOCA minutes indicate a successful 2026 admissions round with an increase in first preference allocations. They also cover draft admission arrangements for 2028-29, requiring schools to review their policies and plan consultation processes.

The School Organisation update notes recent changes to DfE guidance following the Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which alters the process for establishing new schools. The Capital Programme Update highlights an internal review to improve the prioritisation of urgent and planned works due to a falling capital maintenance grant. The SW Norse Update confirms the renewal of a joint venture for a further three years and the upcoming migration of the Connect 2 system to a cloud-based platform.

The Schools Finance Group (SFG) minutes from their meeting on 3 June 2026 will also be presented. Key items for the Forum to note include discussions on the 0.5% block funding transfer, with a working group to develop a proposal for investment in schools, and the High Needs Banding Review values, where a SENCO Funding Referral Group will consider requests for funding level reviews. The SFG also discussed a reduction in the ScoMIS service offer to schools, focusing on MIS and financial services support only.

The meeting will also consider correspondence and confirm dates for future meetings.