The Camden Council Schools Forum met on Thursday, 18 September 2025 to discuss school funding, the High Needs Block Subgroup, and the forum's work programme. The forum was scheduled to discuss the national funding position following the government spending review, and to receive an update on High Needs Block spending for 2025/26. They were also scheduled to consider updated terms of reference for the Schools Forum's High Needs Block Subgroup (HNBS).

Funding Update and Schools Funding Consultation 2026/27

The Schools Forum was scheduled to receive an update on the national funding position following the government spending review on 11 June 2025.

The report pack stated that the major decisions for the forum at this time of year are:

(i) agreement that any inflation uplift to the National Funding Formula (NFF) schools block be fully passed to Camden Schools and (ii) agreement on any changes to the local funding formula.

For budget planning, it was expected that there would be some form of national inflation uplift to the NFF Schools block in 2026/27, which the council proposed to pass fully to schools when announced. It was also expected that there would be little or no major changes to the current NFF funding formula until 2027/28 at the earliest. The council was proposing to continue with earlier decisions to make no changes to the local funding formula, subject to any statutory requirements required by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

The report pack included a draft consultation document for the local formula, and outlined the current DfE statutory requirements for the local Camden funding formula (primary and secondary schools) used for the distribution of the schools DSG block.

The report recommended that there be no changes to the current local formula beyond uplifting the local formula factors in line with any general DSG inflation increase for 2026/27, and subject to any ESFA statutory requirements.

The report pack also outlined a draft timetable leading up to a decision on the funding formula.

High Needs Block (HNB): Update on 2025/26

The Schools Forum was scheduled to receive an update on the High Needs Block (HNB) spend for 2025/26. The report pack stated that there is increasing demand on the HNB and a growing overspend. A more detailed mitigation strategy was provided given the current pressures, with proposals seeking to control spend and maintain a robust overview in a way that is sustainable whilst meeting the needs of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The report pack stated that for 2025/26, the HNB allocation is expected to increase to £58.9m. However, projected HNB expenditure is forecast to rise further to £67.4m, creating an overspend of £8.45m.

The report pack stated that the increase from 2024/25 was primarily across four areas:

• Increase in Camden School funding: £2.74m
• Individual tuition: £1.05m
• Post-16 college fees: £1.365m
• Non Camden schools: £2.205m

The report pack also included a cost-efficiency strategy to ensure the sustainability of SEND provision and to reduce financial pressures within the High Needs Block.

Schools Forum High Needs Block Subgroup: Recommended Terms of Reference

The Schools Forum was scheduled to consider updated terms of reference for the Schools Forum's High Needs Block Subgroup (HNBS), originally approved by the Forum in November 2024. The updated terms include this year's work programme, and are formally appended to the main Schools Forum terms of reference.

The purpose of the HNBS is to allow more in-depth consideration of the use of the HNB in partnership with the local authority, bringing high level recommendations back to the Schools' Forum.

Specific tasks for the sub-group include:

• Overseeing the high needs block action plan
• Advising on how funding could be utilised to further promote needs being met locally, in line with future policy changes
• Advising on how local mechanisms can be optimised
• Exploring the financial impact of additional specialist and ARP places within the borough

The Schools Forum was asked to agree the updated High Needs Block Subgroup terms of reference, and to note the Schools Forum terms of reference.

Schools Forum Work Programme and Action Tracker

The Schools Forum was scheduled to note the work plan for the Schools Forum and an update on actions requested at previous meetings.

The work programme included key reports that officers intend to submit to the Schools Forum during the 2025/26 school year.