The Schools Forum meeting was scheduled to cover a range of financial updates, including the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) outturn for 2025/26 and the High Needs budget for 2026/27. Discussions were also planned regarding the School Organisation Plan and updates on the SEND Local Reform Plan.

Finance Updates

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to financial matters. This included a review of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) outturn for the 2025/26 financial year, detailing the projected expenditure across the Schools, High Needs, Early Years, and Central Schools Support Blocks. The report indicated an overall outturn overspend of £0.2 million, primarily within the High Needs block, leading to a greater than budgeted drawing from the DSG reserve.

The forum was also set to examine school balances as of 31 March 2026. This included an analysis of overall balances, schools with deficits, and those holding excess balances exceeding 10% of their funding. The report highlighted that school balances had decreased by £5.2 million from the previous year, with 22 out of 49 maintained schools holding deficit balances. Two schools, Cranford Primary and Sparrow Farm Primary, were identified as holding excess balances for two consecutive years. The report also outlined the council's policy on the clawback of excess balances held for three consecutive financial years, with such funds earmarked to offset shortfalls in High Needs DSG budgets.

Further financial discussions were scheduled to cover the High Needs Budget for 2026/27, detailing the proposed budget allocation across various categories including mainstream schools, special schools, SEN centres, and alternative provision. The report indicated a projected deficit against the DSG reserve at 31 March 2027. Additionally, the meeting was to consider the Integrated Curriculum and Financial Planning (ICFP) tool, with a presentation on TSO Education's ICFP software, which aims to support evidence-based decisions and strategic planning within the education sector.

Director's Update

The Director's update was scheduled to include a review of the SEND Local Reform Plan. This section of the report outlined immediate priorities such as the distribution of funding, strengthening co-production, and incorporating child and youth voice. It also detailed the commissioning model and the ongoing work to support the ambitions of SEND and Alternative Provision reforms through early identification, inclusive practice, and improved outcomes for children and young people.

A significant item was the School Organisation Plan for 2026-2030. This plan, developed following engagement with schools and the public, aimed to address place planning strategies, SEND sufficiency, and pupil projections. The report provided a summary of the demand for primary and secondary school places borough-wide, indicating a projected deficit in both phases by 2030/31, partly due to new housing growth. The plan also detailed the vision and delivery of Specialist Bases for SEND provision, with three new secondary Specialist Bases scheduled to open in September 2026.

The agenda also included a consultation on the Section 19 Policy, though details of this consultation were not elaborated upon in the provided documents.

Schools Forum Membership and Forward Plan

The meeting was also scheduled to review the Schools Forum Membership, with a list of current members and their terms provided. Finally, the Forward Plan was to be discussed, outlining the agenda items for future Schools Forum meetings scheduled for November 2026, January 2027, February 2027, and July 2027. These future meetings are set to cover topics such as finance updates, DSG monitoring, early years budgets, and school balances.