The Richmond Schools Forum met to discuss the 2025/26 financial position, receive an update on the 2026/27 budget, and review the SEND Futures Plan. The forum was also scheduled to discuss membership updates and the minutes from the previous meeting.

SEND Futures Plan

The Schools Forum was scheduled to receive an update on the implementation of Richmond's SEND Futures Plan, a strategy designed to improve outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 25, across education, health, and social care. The plan also aims to improve the financial sustainability of the system.

The forum was to note that Richmond's Safety Valve Agreement concluded in March 2025, with the council having received all available funding. The Department for Education (DfE) communicated that the Safety Valve Programme would not be extended to any other local authorities. The DfE intends to release the SEND White Paper in October 2025, outlining plans to reform the SEND system and support local authorities in addressing historic and accruing deficits. The dedicated schools grant statutory override will remain effective until the end of the 2027/28 financial year.

As of August 2025, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames had 2,075 Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans in place, a 7.5% increase compared to August 2024. From September 2024 to August 2025, the council received 324 requests for EHC needs assessments, a 5% increase compared to the previous year.

The SEND service redesign was scheduled to be implemented in September 2025, introducing a dedicated Assessment Team to manage EHC Needs Assessment requests. The existing Pre 14 and Preparing for Adulthood teams will continue managing caseloads based on a school allocation system.

Other discussion points included:

• Progress of the Alternative Provision (AP)/Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Strategy.
• Following a CAMHS independent review, a transition to South West London St Georges (SWLStG) as the agreed provider from 1 November 2025.
• Progress within the therapies project, including re-establishment of a task and finish group to review local commissioning arrangements for paediatric therapy services.
• Five supported internship placements for Richmond students across Richmond Council and Achieving for Children (AfC).
• A 45-place Social Emotional and Mental Health satellite provision at Nelson Primary School which opened on 8 September 2025 for 16 pupils.

Areas of concern that were scheduled to be raised were:

• The completion of the London River Academy, a 90-place Social, Emotional & Mental Health school, has been further delayed until 2027.
• Malden Oaks will no longer be providing Richmond Alternative Provision for permanently excluded students or those receiving a dual registered place when at risk of permanent exclusion.
• Decision making for Continuing Healthcare has moved to an Integrated Care Board (ICB) level, leading to an increasing number of children and young people who either no longer meet the criteria or have had significant changes to their level of health provision.

The Schools Forum was also scheduled to note the updated SEND Futures financial monitoring report.

2026/27 Budget

The Schools Forum was scheduled to receive an update on the 2026/27 budget, covering the timing of funding announcements, school funding consultation, and associated local funding formula decisions. The forum was to consider consultation responses and approve the 2026/27 level of funding for various items, and agree to further consultation with schools to inform decision-making at the November meeting.

The Department for Education (DfE) had not yet released the 2026/27 schools funding formula guidance at the time of writing. The DfE announced additional funding for the 2025/26 schools' teachers' pay costs, with the assumption that schools will provide the first 3% from their allocated budget, and the difference of 1% will be additional funding given through a new Schools Budget Support Grant.

The Mayor of London's Universal Free School Meal programme has been extended for the 2025-26 academic year, with the per meal rate remaining at £3.

In June 2025, the Schools Forum agreed to consult with all schools on the following areas to inform decision making:

• Kingston and Richmond Safeguarding Children Partnership Safeguarding Training for academies
• Schools Block de-delegated budget
• 2026/27 Central Schools Services Block budgets
• Targeted High Needs budget and associated funding from the Schools Block
• School Improvement and associated funding from the Schools Block
• Education Inclusion and associated funding from the Schools Block
• Secondary Alternative Provision places and funding options

The consultation closed on Monday 15 September, with 22 schools/trusts responding.

The forum was to discuss de-delegated budgets, where maintained school representatives on Schools Forum are required to agree whether they wish to receive services funded by de-delegating funding to a central budget. Richmond currently utilises four de-delegated service categories:

• Safeguarding Training (£12,400)
• Primary Behaviour Support (£193,800)
• Union Duty Cover (£40,000)
• Early Retirement of non-teaching staff due to Ill Health (ERDIH) (£90,000)

Academy School Forum members were asked to vote on whether they wished to formally write to all academies to recommend that all academy schools sign up to a service level agreement (SLA) with a total estimated value across academy schools of £8,900.

Schools were asked to consider re-prioritising funding from the Schools Block for the following borough-wide priorities:

• Targeted High Needs Fund
• School Improvement Activity
• Alternative Provision
• Education Inclusion Support

Regarding the Secondary Phase Alternative Provision (PRU) - Beckmead Academy Trust, in the academic year 2024/25 Malden Oaks was commissioned to provide 30 alternative provision places for Richmond pupils. However, from September 2025, they are no longer able to support Richmond pupil places at the current price (£17,850 per place) and that to continue a significant increase would be required (£45,000 per place).

In order to sustain the provision and secure best value, Beckmead Academy Trust, our new Richmond SEMH provider, will be commissioned to deliver education for students who are permanently excluded or allocated a PRU place through the Fair Access Panel (FAP).

Schools were asked to consider two available options for the remainder of the academic year 2025/26 (summer term):

1. Reduce the number of places to 12 and focus central funding on PEX. Individual schools can commission the EISS directly for any dual registered pupil places they may require.
2. Maintain the 30 places and approve a transfer from the schools block to support the offer (£341,000 transfer from schools block)

The Central Schools Services Block (CSSB) is currently funded through two elements: Historical Commitments and Ongoing Commitments. Schools were consulted on their view about which central school services they wish to fund next year.

2025/26 Finance Update

The Schools Forum was scheduled to receive an update on the financial position for 2025-26.

The forum was to note the latest Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) allocation for the 2025/26 financial year, and the projected DSG outturn position for the 2025/26 financial year.

The borough is currently projecting spend of £239.304m on DSG funded education services in 2025/26 compared to a grant allocation of £234.976m (including recoupment). This represents a current projected shortfall of £4.328m, including £1.050m for EHCPs that have not yet been approved but are expected to be approved before the end of the financial year. The overall fund is expected to be in deficit this year with the cumulative deficit forecast at £4.553m at 31st March 2026.

The number of EHCPs has increased by a net 48 since 31 March 2025 from 2,046 to 2,094.

The Schools Block is currently projected to be on budget. The team are in the process of evaluating which schools meet the criteria for the Growth Fund and any underspend on this or other de-delegated items are either ringfenced and carried forward or paid out to schools at the end of the year.

The Central School Services Block is currently projected to be on budget.

The Early Years Block is currently projected to underspend by £300k. Projections are based on the latest available census information, current actual expenditure, and historical trends of termly numbers.

The underfunding of high needs education remains a challenge in 2025/26. The position includes projected spend of £45,924,992 against a budget allocation of £41,296,700 representing an overspend of £4,628,292. This includes an allowance for future need of £1,050,000 which is based on the anticipated value of new EHCPs that will be agreed before the year end.

Projected spend of £630,407 is funded from the high needs block for special schools and unit places. A further £3,970,000 is forecast to be spent on place funding recoupment for academies and colleges.

The Borough is projected to spend £19,163,447 on top up funding in 2025/26 to support 1,377 EHCPs. The expected spend on independent places totals £8,747,620.

The Borough is forecasting to spend £8,291,605 on high needs education for pupils over the age of 16.

The projected spend on centrally coordinated high needs services in 2025/26 is £3,523,013.