This meeting was scheduled to discuss a range of financial matters, the SEND Capital programme, and other issues including the approval of a new maintained primary representative, the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), and the Schools Forum Working Group.

Nottingham City SEND Sufficiency

The Schools Forum were scheduled to be provided with an update on the Council’s SEND capital projects and sufficiency plans.

Since the launch of the SEND Sufficiency Strategy 2023-2028 in 2023, the Council's high needs DSG revenue position had changed and an overspend was reported for the 2023/24 financial year.

Councillors were scheduled to note the progress made on projects within the strategy, including the expansion and improvement of provision at Djanogly Strelley Academy, Whitemoor Primary Academy, Milford Primary Academy, Glade Hill Primary School, Rise Park Primary Academy, and Greenfields Primary Academy in the primary phase, and at The Fernwood School and Nottingham Girls Academy in the secondary phase.

In addition, they were scheduled to consider the expansion of special schools including Rosehill School and Nethergate Academy.

Proposed High Needs Block Budget 2025/26

This item provided an update to Councillors on the impact of the Autumn Statement upon SEND funding and how that would likely affect the High Needs Block budget in 2025/26.

The structure of the NFF will remain the same and, with the exception of the funding floor and gains limit percentages, the same factor values and weightings will apply as in previous years. This is because the government wants to take more time to consider what changes are needed to the NFF, both to make sure that they establish a fair education funding system, that directs funding to where it is needed, and to support any special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms that will be taken forward.

- High Needs Block Budget 2025-26

The report also highlighted how the continued high level of permanent exclusions in Nottingham were putting pressure on the budget. Councillors were scheduled to be told that the permanently excluded pupils were costing the council £2,561,398 more in 2023/24 than they had budgeted for, and that it was anticipated that this would rise to £2,993,478 in 2024/25.

The report noted that [t]he 2025/26 Budget setting process will consider options available to the LA to either remove, extend, or replace the current AP Inclusion model.

Councillors were asked to note the report and the local authority's plans to consult on the options available.

Early Years Central Expenditure 2025/26

The report pack contained a proposal for the Early Years central expenditure in 2025/26, and asked the Schools Forum to approve a budget of £1.025m.

The report pack contained a detailed breakdown of how the team intended to use the money to deliver their duties under the Childcare Act 2006, Education Act 2014, and the Children and Families Act 2014. This included spending on staffing, providing training opportunities for early years staff, and ensuring there are enough childcare places available for the families that need them.

The team also planned to use the money to support the delivery of the 30 hours childcare entitlement to all working parents with children from 9 months old.

DSG Outturn 2023/24

Councillors were scheduled to note the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) outturn position for 2023/24, including a summary of income received, expenditure incurred, and the anticipated future impact upon reserves.

The report pack noted an unplanned overspend of £798,909.36 in the High Needs Block, and explained that this was largely driven by the cost of placements in Independent and Non-Maintained Special Schools and increases in the number of permanently excluded pupils.

The increase seen in Permanently Excluded pupils would appear to be the main driver along with the cost of Independent and Non-Maintained Special School Placements. In 2023/24 there was also a slight drop in the amounts paid to mainstream schools for High Level Needs (HLN) which would suggest that there were some schools choosing to P’EX rather than invest in supporting pupils. This drop in HLN did offset the cost in P’EX in the last Financial Year. However, in the current financial year 2024/25 we are seeing both a growth in HLN requests and a growth in P’EX’s, often at a younger age.

- DSG Outturn 2023/24

Proposed pupil growth allocation for 2025/26

The Schools Forum were scheduled to consider a proposal to allocate £0.540m to support pupil growth in 2025/26.

The report pack noted that although the majority of funding previously allocated for pupil growth had been used to support the increasing need for secondary school places, the Pupil Growth Contingency Fund was not currently required for primary growth payments.

The report pack requested that Councillors note the ESFA¹’s requirement to allocate £0.230m of funding to academies for the period April to August 2025, which would be reimbursed to the council.

De-delegation of 2025/26 Health and Safety Building Inspection Funding

The Schools Forum were scheduled to consider whether to approve a proposal by maintained mainstream primary schools to de-delegate funding for health and safety building inspections in 2025/26.

The report pack explained that under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Nottingham City Council, as the employer in community schools, has the overall responsibility for health and safety. The report pack included confirmation that [t]he management of health and safety on the estate is delegated by the employer to Head Teachers and school Governing Bodies.

If agreed, it was proposed that a per-pupil rate of £8.58 would be used to determine the funding to be provided to Nottingham City Council to carry out the inspections.

The report pack included details of how the Council would use the funding, including to pay for surveys, testing, and risk assessments. Maintained special schools, pupil referral units and nursery schools would not be allowed to de-delegate the funding but would be required to buy-back services.

The report pack included an equality impact assessment which stated that [i]f not undertaken, then schools would have to close as they couldn’t prove they were safe to use.

Without statutory maintenance it’s envisaged that all citizens of Nottingham would be impacted upon as the LA education portfolio would not not be compliant with statutory, legislative and insurance requirements and therefore assets would have to close or if they decided to remain open they would be in breach of legislation and would potentially become a risk to all citizens and colleagues using them.

• EIA HS Build

Membership

The Schools Forum were scheduled to approve the appointment of Jamie Tee (Head Teacher, Berridge Primary) as a maintained primary representative of the Forum.