The Children, Families and Education Select Committee met on Tuesday 14 April 2026 to discuss the council's budget and spending, school admissions, the annual standards of education, and updates on the SEND and Alternative Provision strategy. Key decisions included noting the budget monitoring position, approving the school organisation plan, and noting the SEND and AP strategy update.

Budget and Spending

The committee received an update on the council's budget monitoring position for the 2025/26 financial year, as of Month 10. Services within the Children, Families & Education directorate reported a pressure of £6.1 million, a decrease of £0.3 million from the previous month. This improvement was attributed to increased contributions from the Integrated Care Board (ICB) towards the cost of children in care placements. However, pressures remain within Children's Social Care, particularly concerning mother and baby placements, and asylum costs, which have a £2.5 million shortfall. A further pressure of £2 million arises from a reduction in the use of flexible capital receipts that were previously allocated to fund transformation costs.

The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is forecast to have an in-year deficit of £9.2 million, a favourable movement of £0.4 million compared to Month 9. This deficit is projected to rise to £75.1 million by the end of the financial year, but this will be mitigated by the High Needs Stability Grant, expected in Autumn 2026. The favourable movement in the DSG is linked to high needs expenditure and efforts to reduce reliance on costly independent placements by increasing local provision and early intervention. The government's plan to cover 90% of high needs-related DSG deficits, subject to the submission and approval of a local SEND reform plan, will significantly reduce the deficit, leaving an estimated residual balance of £6 million to be addressed by 2028/29.

Savings targets for the directorate for 2025/26, totalling £4.549 million, have been fully achieved and banked as of Month 10. These savings have been realised through measures such as increasing foster carer capacity and expanding in-house residential provision.

School Admissions Update

Laura Baldry, School Placement and Admissions Manager, presented an update on school admissions. In-Year applications for the 2024/25 academic year showed a decrease of 16.3% compared to the previous year, with a total of 3,287 applications received. This reduction is primarily attributed to a significant decrease in families being placed in hotels in the south of the borough. While applications from families arriving in the UK continue, many are now accommodated in settings other than hotels.

For secondary school allocations for September 2026, 3,521 on-time Hillingdon applications were received, and all children were offered a place on National Offer Day. 67.13% received their first preference, 86.94% received one of their top three preferences, and 93.75% received one of their top six preferences. The team is actively processing late applications and chasing parents who have not responded to offers.

National Offer Day for Primary Allocations is scheduled for Thursday 16 April 2026. The team has received 3,222 on-time applications for Reception places for September 2026 and is in the final stages of the allocation process.

The Fair Access Panel has seen a 21% decrease in demand for places compared to the previous year, with 49 children presented through the panel so far this academic year. This decline is largely due to the reduction in families residing in hotel accommodation and schools processing in-year applications more swiftly.

Annual Standards of Education Report 2024-25

Michael Hawkins, Head of Education and Lifelong Learning, presented the Annual Standards of Education Report for 2024-25. The report highlights that 93% of Hillingdon's schools are rated as good or outstanding by Ofsted, with 7% on the Council's 'at risk' register, a reduction from the previous year. Inclusion levels in mainstream schools are improving.

Early Years outcomes have risen, with 71% of children achieving a Good Level of Development (GLD), an increase for disadvantaged children to 58.4%. Phonics outcomes remain strong and compare favourably with national and regional benchmarks. However, Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing, and maths outcomes remain below national and regional benchmarks, with writing identified as a priority for improvement. Key Stage 4 Attainment 8 scores were slightly above national, while Key Stage 5 outcomes for A Levels and vocational qualifications were slightly behind national and regional figures.

The report also detailed progress against the Education Strategy priorities, including improvements in school attendance rates, a 23% decrease in permanent exclusions, and a stable rate of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET).

SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Strategy Update 2023-2028

Abi Preston, Director of Education & SEND, Dominika Michalik, Assistant Director of SEND & Inclusion, and Kathryn Angelini, Assistant Director for Education, provided an update on the SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy. The strategy, now in its third year of implementation, aims to ensure children and young people with SEND and those accessing AP are supported to lead happy and fulfilled lives in inclusive communities.

The report highlighted alignment with national SEND reforms, including a focus on earlier identification and timely intervention, particularly in early years. Hillingdon's strategy is also promoting inclusive mainstream education, improving system navigation for families, and strengthening workforce capability. Progress has been made in developing local SEND provision, including new Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs) and Designated Units (DUs), and expanding special school capacity.

The report detailed improvements in the quality and timeliness of EHCPs and annual reviews, with a 44% increase in ceased EHCPs due to improved outcomes. Mainstream inclusion for pupils with EHCPs has risen to 52% as of January 2026. The report also noted a 21% decrease in permanent exclusions for pupils with SEND compared to the previous year.

Challenges remain, including neurodevelopmental waiting times, the complexity of SEMH needs, and data integration across agencies. However, the partnership has seen significant achievements in strengthening early identification, improving system tools, and embedding co-production.

Cabinet Forward Plan

The committee noted the Cabinet's Forward Plan, which outlines future key decisions. A notable item within the committee's remit is the proposal for the amalgamation of Whitehall Infant School and Whitehall Junior School, which will be considered by Cabinet on 23 April 2026. The committee also noted that the final report of its fostering review will be submitted to Cabinet.

Work Programme

The committee reviewed its work programme for the upcoming municipal year, noting future meeting dates and potential topics for discussion. The committee also acknowledged the upcoming Borough local elections on 7 May 2026.

Councillor Peter Smallwood OBE was thanked for his diligent steering of the committee as he steps down.