The Wandsworth Schools Forum meeting scheduled for 12 January 2026 was set to discuss the financial framework for the upcoming academic year, including proposals for the schools block funding formula, early years budgets, and de-delegation of funds. The forum was also scheduled to review the central school services block budget and projections for the growth fund.

FY 2026-27 Schools Block Funding - Local Funding Formula

The meeting was scheduled to present options for the 2026-27 schools block funding and seek approval for one of these options. The report detailed that the total Schools Block funding for FY 2026-27 is £201.678 million, an increase of 0.81% compared to the previous year. It was noted that the Local Funding Formula (LFF) must move a minimum of 10% closer to the National Funding Formula (NFF) each year, which has the impact of shifting funds from primary to secondary schools. Several models were presented, exploring different percentages of movement towards the NFF and the impact of a 0% or -0.5% Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG). The report highlighted that under all models, secondary schools would see an increase in funding while primary schools would experience a decrease, with the extent of this shift varying depending on the chosen model.

FY 2026-27 Early Years Budget

Proposals for the 2026-27 Early Years Budget were scheduled for presentation and approval. The report indicated a significant increase in the Early Years Block allocation for Wandsworth, rising to £55.717 million for FY 2026-27, a 20.7% increase from the previous year. This rise was attributed to an adjusted rate for 3- and 4-year-olds following a move to a termly funding model, and the full-year allocation for the expansion of the 30-hour free childcare entitlement for working parents of children from 9 months to 2 years old. The proposed hourly rates for various age groups and provider types were detailed, including increases for 3&4-year-olds, 2-year-olds, and under 2-year-olds. A lump sum supplement for Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) was also proposed to remain at £80,000 per school.

FY 2026-27 De-delegation & Education Functions Budget

The meeting was set to discuss the final de-delegation and former education services grant budgets for approval. Maintained schools have the option to agree to de-delegate funds for centrally retained services, with decisions requiring a majority vote from the relevant sector representatives on the Schools Forum. The report noted a decline in pupil numbers in maintained schools, which affects the level of funding received through de-delegation. A 2% increase in de-delegation rates was proposed to mitigate a projected shortfall. Additionally, an increase of 3.4% to the funding rate for education functions was proposed to maintain contributions towards a redundancy reserve for schools facing financial difficulties.

Indicative Central School Services Block Budget for FY 2026-27

A report on the updated figures for the Central Schools Services Block (CSSB) for FY 2026-27 was scheduled for presentation. The CSSB covers historic commitments and ongoing responsibilities, such as admissions, Schools Forum administration, and copyright licensing. The report indicated that for FY 2026-27, there were no significant technical changes to the block, other than the annualisation of certain grants. Wandsworth had submitted a request for a disapplication to ensure that historical element funding does not fall below actual costs. The total proposed allocation for the CSSB was £3.07 million.

Growth Fund Projections – FY 2026-27

The meeting was scheduled to review growth fund criteria for 2026-27 for approval. The growth fund is allocated from the Schools Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) to support new and growing schools, as well as Year 11 late arrivals with English as an additional language (EAL). No changes to the existing growth fund criteria were proposed. The total funding proposed for FY 2026-27 was £1.196 million. The report detailed the criteria for allocating funds to expanding schools and bulge classes, including specific rates per pupil and conditions for planned expansions. Funding for new schools' one-off start-up costs and post-opening/diseconomy funding was also outlined.