The Schools' Forum of Northumberland Council met on Wednesday, 21 January 2026, to discuss the allocation of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for the 2026/27 academic year. The meeting also covered proposals for de-delegating funding for specific services and reviewed the council's work programme and future meeting dates.

Setting the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2026/27

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to the proposed allocation of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for the 2026/27 academic year. The report presented outlined the DSG settlement figures provided by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) on 17 December 2025.

The total DSG allocation for Northumberland for 2026/27 is £374,951,618, an increase of £26,531,412 from the previous year. This overall increase is largely attributed to changes in the Early Years Block funding, which has seen a 27.40% rise. The report detailed the breakdown of the DSG across four blocks: Schools Block, High Needs Block, Central School Services Block, and Early Years Block.

A key factor influencing the Schools Block allocation is the projected fall in pupil numbers in mainstream schools, with a decrease of 529 pupils anticipated between 2025/26 and 2026/27. This decline in pupil numbers is attributed to a falling birth rate and an increasing number of students being placed in special schools.

The meeting also addressed the proposed formula values for the allocation of funds to schools for 2026/27. It was noted that Northumberland currently mirrors the National Funding Formula (NFF) in all factors. The report detailed proposed increases in per-pupil funding rates for primary and secondary schools, as well as adjustments to deprivation and other funding factors.

A recommendation was made to support a transfer of 0.5% from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block, amounting to approximately £1.27 million. This transfer is intended to help address financial challenges related to the increasing number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). The report also highlighted that disapplication requests for the Berwick partnership area reorganisation and for exceptional rent costs at Seaton Delaval First School, Beaufront First School, and Seaton Valley High School had been approved by the Department for Education.

The report also provided details on the proposed funding principles for the Early Years Block, including plans to maximise base rates for providers, maintain and introduce deprivation supplements for 2, 3, and 4-year-olds, and maintain the SEND Inclusion Fund. The proposed hourly payment rates for 2026/27 showed an average increase of 5.17% in early years funding.

The High Needs Block allocation for 2026/27 is £63,797,742, an increase of 8.6% on the previous year. This figure is before deductions for ESFA direct funding of places. The Central School Services Block allocation for 2026/27 is £2,368,365, a 7.5% increase.

De-Delegation of Services

The meeting considered proposals for the de-delegation of funding for certain services from maintained schools for 2026/27. These services include a Contingency Fund for School Restructure and Re-organisation costs, Determination of FSM Eligibility, Trade Union Facility Time, and English as an Additional Language (EAL) services. The report indicated that the cash values for most de-delegated budgets have remained at 2020/21 levels, with the exception of Trade Union Facility Time, which proposed an increase in the per-pupil rate from £3.25 to £5.00. This increase was presented as necessary to balance in-year costs and reflect rising salary costs and increased demand for trade union representative time.

2026 Work Programme and Meeting Dates

The Schools' Forum reviewed its work programme and scheduled meeting dates for 2026. The programme included upcoming meetings on 25 February 2026, 15 July 2026, 30 September 2026, and 11 November 2026, with topics ranging from detailed DSG budget setting to National Funding Formula updates and SEN updates.