Purpose

To provide Cabinet with the
recommendation of Schools Forum on 2026 to 2027 Schools Formula
Factors paid out of Dedicated Schools Grant DSG. The DfE requires
evidence of Cabinet approval of the Formula Factors which then
forms the basis of Schools Budget for 2026/27. The timing of
Cabinet approval will be tricky as the council has not received the
Authority Proforma Tool (APT) which forms the basis of calculating
these formula factors. In addition, the Schools Forum meeting is
scheduled until 19th January 2026 whilst the APT deadline will be a
few days later. Nonetheless, it is proposed that his paper come to
February 2026 Cabinet.

Content

The Executive Mayor and Cabinet
AGREED to:
 
2.1      
Note the funding factor values reported in Appendix B which are the
range of factors available to use in setting 2026/27 schools
funding.
 
2.2      
Note that most of Croydon’s schools funding formula factors
are either at the National Funding Formula (NFF) or are already
mirroring the NFF. Therefore, there is no further requirement to
bring any of the formula factors closer to NFF.
 
2.3      
Note the extract of the Schools Forum minute in Appendix D
(relating to schools funding formula factors) and how voting
decisions have informed the recommendations in this
report.
 
2.4      
Approve the provisional funding formula factors for Croydon
mainstream schools (as shown in Appendix C and recommendation to
Schools Forum and extract of the minute of Schools Forum meeting
shown in Appendix D) for the financial year 2026/27 in line with
the recommendations voted by Schools Forum on 19th January
2026;
 
2.5      
Approve the statutory spend of £348.07m of Schools Block DSG
funding for 2026/27 for Schools Budget;
 
2.6      
Support the Schools Forum approval and the transfer of £1.2m
from the school’s block to the High Needs block as part of
DSG Deficit Management Plan.