The Schools Forum of Buckinghamshire Council met on Tuesday 21 April 2026 to discuss the Dedicated Schools Budget, including revenue budget monitoring for the 2025-26 financial year and an update on the High Needs Budget for 2026-27. The meeting also included a verbal update on the SEND Reform Plan.

Dedicated Schools Budget - Revenue Budget Monitoring 2025-26

The Schools Forum was scheduled to receive a report on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) revenue budget monitoring for the 2025-26 financial year, as of Period 10. The report indicated that the overall budgeted in-year deficit for the DSG was £22.9m, primarily stemming from spending pressures within the High Needs Block. This was in line with the budget set at the beginning of the year. The cumulative DSG reserve deficit was forecast to be £47.4m as at 31 March 2026. The report detailed variations within the High Needs Block, including increased unit costs for Special School top-ups and higher volumes of pupils attending out-of-borough special schools, contributing to adverse variances. Conversely, a favourable variance was noted due to lower costs for independent school placements.

High Needs Budget Update 2026-27

An update on the High Needs Budget for 2026-27 was scheduled, following the Department for Education's (DfE) announcement of the High Needs Stability Grant. The DfE had temporarily suspended the high needs national funding formula, with allocations for 2026-27 based on 2025-26 figures. This resulted in a cash flat settlement, meaning no uplift in the High Needs Block funding. The revised High Needs Budget for 2026-27 was presented with a projected deficit of £30.3m, incorporating a new £4m savings target. The High Needs Stability Grant would fund 90% of deficits up to the end of the 2025-26 financial year, with Buckinghamshire's projected deficit of £47.4m being partially covered, leaving £4.74m to be funded by the Council. The report also outlined a savings programme for the High Needs Block in 2026-27, including measures to promote independence for post-18 provision, retain primary-aged children within mainstream schools, and increase autism capacity in mainstream settings.

SEND Reform Plan

A verbal update on the SEND Reform Plan was to be provided by Dan Barton, Service Director for Education and Inclusion, and Aman Sekhon-Gill, Service Director for SEND & Inclusion. This update was expected to cover the government's White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, published on 23 February 2026, which proposed reforms to the SEND system and included funding announcements. Key proposals included £4bn in additional national funding over three years, with allocations for an Inclusive Mainstream Fund and Expert at Hand funding for specialist support in schools. The reforms also aimed to increase SEND places and introduce legislation to address concerns about the independent specialist sector. The proposed changes to the SEND system included a three-tiered support structure, with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) used at the specialist level.

Dedicated Schools Budget - Schools Block

The Schools Block allocations for Buckinghamshire were based on the October 2025 census and reflected national increases to the formula's core factors and minimum per-pupil funding. Key changes included the incorporation of the 2025/26 Schools Budget Support Grant and NI grant into the schools NFF, leading to an increase in pupil-led funding. However, growth funding was noted as insufficient to meet current demand. The report highlighted concerns about the impact of teacher pay rises on school budgets, with a potential lack of additional government funding. Options for balancing the National Funding Formula (NFF) were presented, including scaling back the use of the growth fund or scaling down the values of formula factors. The report recommended agreeing the allocation of funding to mainstream schools based on the local funding formula, the methodology for affordability scaling at 99.48%, and the criteria for the Growth Fund in 2026-27.

Early Years Block

The 2026-27 funding arrangements for the Early Years Block were set to include proposals for the extended early years offer. Key changes included an increased minimum pass-through requirement for local authorities to 97% and a statutory requirement for councils to announce funding rates to childcare providers by 28 February 2026. The report also provided information on how the Council would allocate funding to local authorities under a termly funding system from the 2026-27 financial year and details on changes to the eligibility criteria for the special educational needs inclusion fund (SENIF). The Early Years Manager was expected to report on increasing the level of the inclusion fund to support children with low-level SEN needs. The report recommended agreeing the Early Years Funding Formulae (EYFF) for 2026-27.

De-Delegation Proposals 2026-27

The Schools Forum was scheduled to consider de-delegation proposals for 2026-27, covering existing de-delegated services for primary and secondary schools. Recommendations included de-delegation for a contingency fund for schools in deficit and for supply cover for small schools. For former ESG funded services, recommendations covered finance support for schools in financial difficulties and the Educational Visits Service. De-delegation for school improvement activity was also proposed. Discussions were expected regarding the funding rate for trade union facilities, with a trade union representative raising concerns about a potential funding shortfall. The report recommended agreeing the proposals for de-delegation in 2026-27 based on the recommendations of the Maintained Schools Sub-Committee.

Date of Next Meetings

The dates for future Schools Forum meetings were scheduled to be confirmed. These included meetings on 30 June 2026, 3 November 2026, 1 December 2026, 19 January 2027, and 22 March 2027.