The Schools Forum of Enfield Council met on Wednesday 17 January 2024 to discuss the Dedicated Schools Grant for the upcoming academic year and the High Needs Deficit Management Plan. The meeting also included presentations of annual reports from various support services.

Dedicated Schools Grant 2024/25 Update

The forum was scheduled to receive an update on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2024/25. This grant is a ringfenced fund used to finance schools and certain central education functions. The report detailed the initial 2024/25 DSG allocation, which showed an overall increase of 4.40% compared to the previous year, reaching £431.801 million.

Key changes in the DSG allocation include:

• Schools Block: An increase of 0.92% to £312.283 million, despite a projected decrease in pupil numbers. This block funds mainstream schools.
• Central Schools Services Block (CSSB): A decrease of 1.63% to £2.391 million. This block supports local authorities in carrying out central functions for maintained schools and academies. Funding for historic commitments within this block has been reduced by 20%.
• High Needs Block: An increase of 3.19% to £78.032 million. This funding is for supporting pupils with higher needs.
• Early Years Block: A significant increase of 49.55% to £39.095 million, reflecting a new national funding formula for younger children and expanded support funds.

The report also outlined the draft schools' budget for 2024/25, which is based on pupil numbers from the October 2023 census. A decrease in total pupil numbers was noted, with primary school pupil numbers falling by 2.16% and secondary school numbers increasing slightly by 0.54%. The forum was asked to approve the formula factor values for the primary and secondary funding formula for 2024/25. The report highlighted that the move towards a direct funding formula by the Department for Education (DfE) means local authorities will have less scope for adjustment in the future.

High Needs Deficit Management Plan Update

The meeting was also scheduled to receive an update on the High Needs Deficit Management Plan. This plan addresses the financial deficit within the High Needs block of the DSG, which funds support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The report indicated that the High Needs block allocation for Enfield is set to increase by 3.19% to £78.032 million for 2024/25. However, a portion of this funding (£3.3 million) will be recouped by the Education Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA) for post-16 provision and special school places.

Annual Reports from Support Services

The forum was scheduled to receive annual reports from several key support services:

• Secondary Behaviour Support Service: This service aims to support secondary school pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs.
• Flourish Outreach Vision Impairment Service: This service provides support for children and young people with vision impairments.
• Hearing Support Service: This service offers assistance to pupils with hearing difficulties.

These reports were intended to provide an overview of the services' activities and outcomes during the past academic year.

Workplan

The Schools Forum was also due to review and note its workplan for future meetings. This plan outlines the topics scheduled for discussion in upcoming sessions, including further updates on school budgets, high needs funding, and various annual reports from educational services. The workplan indicated that future meetings would cover topics such as the scheme for financing schools, audit updates, and specific reports from services like EASA, West Lea, and Orchardside.