Meeting

RECOMMENDED that the minutes of the meeting held on 3 December 2025 be agreed as a correct record.

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to:

1. Seek endorsement of the final stage submission to the Department for Education (DfE) by 22 January 2026 of the 2026-27 mainstream school revenue funding pro-forma for the Primary and Secondary Phases.

2. Inform Schools Forum of the progress towards the initial determination of the schools budget (including individual schools budgets for 2026-27) and to seek the necessary approvals and endorsements required.

RECOMMENDED that the Schools Forum:

1. Endorse the proposed changes to the mainstream schools revenue funding arrangements as set out in Section 5 and Appendix 2.

2. Endorse the school revenue funding pro-forma at Appendix 3 for submission to the DfE on 22 January 2026.

3. Endorse the use of the carry forward on the Schools Specific Contingency for the same purpose in 2026-27 as set out in Section 6.

4. Endorse the budget to be held centrally for the payment of central licences negotiated nationally for all schools by the Secretary of State as set out in Section 7.

5. Approve the use of the 2025-26 underspend on the Growth Fund for use for the same purpose in 2026-27.

6. Approve the budgets to be held centrally specifically as set out in Appendix 1:

· Schools Forum

· Admissions

· Duties retained by the local authority for all schools

· Centrally employed Teachers' pay and pensions grants.

7. Endorse the place numbers for Special Schools, Inclusion Centres and Alternative Provision Settings as set out in Section 8 and Appendix 4.

It is recommended that Maintained Schools Forum members:

1. Approve the de-delegated unit values in relation to the School Improvement, Monitoring and Brokerage Grant of £11.03 for each pupil.