The Education and Children's Services Committee met to discuss the proposed admission arrangements for community schools for the 2027-28 academic year, review the directorate's budget for 2026-27, and consider the Dedicated Schools Grant budget for the same year. Key decisions included the formal determination of admission arrangements, noting and commenting on the proposed budgets, and approving recommendations for the Dedicated Schools Grant.

Admission Arrangements for Community Schools 2027-28

The committee formally determined the admission arrangements for community schools for the 2027-28 academic year. This involved consulting on and agreeing to reduce the Published Admission Number (PAN) at five schools: Buckingham Primary School, Darell Primary School, Heathfield Infant School, Lowther Primary School, and Heathfield Junior School. These reductions are a response to falling pupil numbers across the borough, driven by a decline in the birth rate and families moving away from the area due to housing affordability issues. The proposed reductions aim to ensure the long-term financial stability and sustainability of these schools, while still meeting projected demand with sufficient places available in nearby schools. Only one response was received during the public consultation, which disagreed with the PAN reduction at Buckingham Primary School, stating that other local schools had been allowed to expand when this school could have accommodated more pupils.

Directorate Budget Report 2026-27

The committee noted and commented on the proposed budget for 2026-27, which totals £61.97 million. This represents an increase of £8.33 million compared to the previous year's budget. The budget includes an additional £2.5 million for inflation, covering staff pay awards and increases in social care placements and other contracts. A significant portion of the £1.85 million growth budget is allocated to social care placements, with £1.55 million for placement growth and £297,000 for overnight respite care for children with disabilities. Savings of £897,000 are planned, including reviews of the preventative care model, social care staffing, and emotional health services.

A key concern highlighted was the pressure on high needs education budgets, which are expected to overspend by £5.67 million in 2026-27 due to rising demand and costs, despite the government freezing funding levels. Social care placement and staffing budgets also remain challenging due to inflation, a shortage of professionals, and increasing complexity of need.

Schools Budget 2026-27

The committee considered the proposed Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) budget for 2026-27, which totals £247.3 million. While this represents a 5.2% increase on the previous year's allocation, a significant portion of this increase is due to the consolidation of previously separate grants. The actual increase in funding for DSG-funded services is 2.12%. The budget is divided into four blocks: Schools Block (£168.5 million), Central School Services Block (£1.17 million), Early Years Block (£34.7 million), and High Needs Block (£42.8 million).

A significant concern raised was the ongoing deficit in the High Needs Block, which is projected to reach £5.5 million by the end of the 2025-26 financial year. This is attributed to increasing demand and costs for supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, which are not being matched by government funding. The committee noted that the government plans to transfer responsibility for high needs funding to the Department for Education from April 2028, but details on how historic deficits will be addressed are still awaited. The Schools Block includes a Minimum Funding Guarantee of 0%, meaning no school will lose money on a per-pupil basis year-on-year, with a cap on gains set at 5.51%. The Early Years Block sees an increase in hourly rates for providers, and the SEND Inclusion Fund remains at £581,000.

Capital Maintenance Programme 2026-27

The committee reviewed the proposed Education Schools Condition Allocation Capital Maintenance Programme for 2026-27, with a recommended budget of £1.548 million. This programme focuses on essential maintenance in community schools, prioritising works that prevent school closures, address safeguarding concerns, and deal with urgent health and safety issues. The funding is primarily from the Department for Education's School Condition Allocation, with a 10% contribution from schools, capped at £20,000. The programme includes boiler replacements, emergency lighting, and roof repairs at various schools. Concerns were raised about the rising costs of construction inflation and the static nature of DfE funding, which is not keeping pace with these increases. The committee also noted that while boiler replacements are being prioritised, the additional cost of installing Air Source Heat Pumps, which are preferred for decarbonisation, cannot be funded from the current SCA budget.

Q3 Quarterly Budget Monitoring Report 2025-26

The committee received an update on the Q3 budget monitoring for 2025-26. The General Fund revenue budget is projected to be £1.439 million overspent, primarily due to pressures in Children Looked After budgets, driven by an increase in high-cost residential placements. The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is forecast to overspend by £5.332 million, resulting in a cumulative deficit of £5.557 million. The capital programme is expected to spend £20.174 million. Key pressures in the General Fund include the cost of children looked after, with four young people in placements costing over £10,000 per week. The DSG overspend is largely due to the High Needs Block, with increasing numbers of children and young people requiring support.

Richmond Corporate Plan 2025-26 Mid-Year Performance Report

The committee reviewed the mid-year performance report for the Richmond Corporate Plan. While 80% of key performance indicators (KPIs) were rated as green, areas of underperformance were noted, including the timeliness of referral decisions within 24 hours (down to 80%), the percentage of children looked after placed with in-house foster carers (down to 39.7%), and the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils at Key Stage 4 (widened to 35%). Areas of improvement included the percentage of children looked after receiving an annual health assessment and the percentage of care leavers aged 19-21 in employment, education, or training. The committee considered recommending the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils for further review by the Policy and Performance Review Board.

Committee Work Programme

The committee discussed its work programme for the remainder of the cycle, with potential future reports on national SEND reforms, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in schools, and an update on the housing allocation review for care experienced young people. The committee noted that a report on national SEND reforms would be dependent on the publication of the Schools White Paper. The Executive Director of Children's Services expressed confidence that the AI in schools report could be developed, potentially through a survey of schools. A referral was made to the Policy and Performance Review Board to investigate prioritising care experienced young people in the housing allocation scheme.

The meeting was attended by Councillor Julia Cambridge, Chair of the Education and Children's Services Committee, and other councillors, alongside officers including Ian Dodds, Executive Director of Children's Services, and Lucy Kourpas, Chief Operating and Finance Officer. The meeting was broadcast live via the Council's website.