The Camden Council Schools Forum met on 2 December 2025 to discuss school funding for 2026/27, high needs funding, school place planning, and school meals. The forum approved the de-delegated budgets as set out in the School Funding 2026/27 report. Members also noted updates on the High Needs Block (HNB) spend, the school meals programme, and the schools forum work programme.

School Funding 2026/27

The Schools Forum was asked to approve the de-delegated budgets as set out in section 2.1 of the School Funding 2026/27 report. The forum approved the same de-delegated services for 2026/27 as in 2025/26, to the value of £0.949m:

• Behaviour support (primary schools only): £0.45m
• Assessment of applications for free school meals: £0.035m
• Reimbursement to schools for staff undertaking formal union roles: £0.124m
• Contingency: £0.240m
• Licenses arranged at national level by the government: £0.100m

The report provided an overview of school funding for 2026/27, including estimated National Funding Formula (NFF) allocations to individual schools. It also covered the Department for Education's (DfE) continued use of the Central Schools Block (CSSB) to replace the former top sliced amounts. The report summarised forecasts for the 2025/26 High Needs (HN) Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) outturn, future budget requirements, and planned DSG spending, as well as current and future cost pressures on school and high needs budgets.

The report noted that the DfE's final NFF structure would not be changing significantly in 2026/27. The most recent structural changes to the NFF were in 2025/26 and related to the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) factor and the proposed cash uplift to the national NFF formula factors from rolling current additional schools pay grants into the base NFF, which is expected to continue for 2026/27.

The report stated that the DfE's aim is to publish the NFF allocations for schools, central school services, and high needs for 2026/27 in late autumn 2025.

The report also noted that in June 2025, the government announced that, starting from September 2026, free school meals (FSM) will be extended to all children in households receiving Universal Credit. For 2026/27, the DfE are not proposing any changes to the schools NFF formula to allocate funding for this expansion of FSM. Instead, the funding needed for the FSM expansion will be provided through a separate grant.

The report included a table indicating the National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and Schools Budget Support Grant (SBSG) 2026/27 funding rates added to base NFF factor rates for 2025/26, with percentage uplift.

The report also noted that the local 2026/27 funding allocation available to individual schools will continue to be calculated on the basis that the Forum is not contributing to Early Years funding or the High Needs block.

The report set out cost increases to be faced by Camden schools in 2026/27, including staffing costs and the teachers' pay award from September 2026.

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

The Schools Forum was asked to note the updated HNB projection for 2025/26 and the update on the cost mitigation activity, as detailed in the High Needs Block (HNB): Update on 2025/26 report.

The report set out an updated projection for High Needs Block (HNB) spend for 2025/26 reflecting Quarter 2 (Q2) budget monitoring. The report noted that the overall projection had improved slightly, but the change was not significant and there remain several unknowns which require close monitoring. The report also updated the mitigation activity which seeks to control and reduce spend where possible 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 projected an in-year overspend of £8.1m, resulting from the shortfall between the HNB allocation of £58.912m and projected expenditure of £67.01m.

The report noted that the main growth area has been the ongoing increase in numbers of high needs children/young people with Education Health and Care (EHC) Plans and Exceptional Needs Grant (ENGs) which continue to increase.

The report outlined cost mitigation activity focused on strengthening internal processes, improving commissioning arrangements, expanding local provision, and refining the funding banding model.

The report included two appendices: SEND Panels and Children with EHC Plans Not in Education.

2025 School Place Planning Report Update

The Schools Forum was asked to note the update report. The 2025 School Place Planning Report Update provided an update on the latest demographic trends in the borough. The report showed that there have been no significant changes in the data, with a declining intake across primary and secondary schools, national and regional data trends remaining the same, and an increase in EHCPs demand.

The report included a slide deck summarising key data, including reception entry pupil demand forecasts, year 7 entry pupil demand forecasts, primary place planning projected surplus, and increases in Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).

School Meals Update

The Schools Forum was asked to note the update contained in the School Meals Update report. The report provided an update on the council's work to explore potential future options for school meals provision in Camden, including insourcing.

The report noted that Camden's current school meal contract keeps meals affordable and sustainable for families while delivering consistent, high-quality, fresh meals that support pupils' health and wellbeing, are culturally appropriate and promote inclusivity and safety. Having carefully considered the options available as part of the school meals future options work, the council now expects to allow its current school meals contract to run its term and is no longer actively exploring insourcing the school meals service at this time.

The report highlighted Camden's commitment to tackling food poverty and the cost-of-living crisis, as well as improving nutrition and food education, including supporting pupils through the Camden School Breakfast programme, exploring the establishment of School of Food sites, and working to launch an auto-enrolment/opt-out process for accessing Free School Meals (FSM) during the 2025/26 academic year.

Schools Forum Work Programme and Action Tracker

The Schools Forum was asked to note the Work Programme for 2025-26 and the Action Tracker, as detailed in the Schools Forum Work Programme and Action Tracker 2025/26 report. The report set out the draft work plan for the Schools Forum for the 2025/26 school year and provided an update on actions requested at previous meetings. The report also included meeting dates for the 2025/26 school year.

Kingsgate Primary School Thomas Coram Centre Haverstock School Robson House Swiss Cottage School