Here is a summary of the items scheduled for discussion at the Bracknell Forest Council Schools Forum meeting on 18 September 2025. The agenda included discussion of school budget plans, school budget monitoring proposals, and the High Needs Block budget. The Forum was also scheduled to elect a chair and vice-chair.

High Needs Block Budget

The Schools Forum was scheduled to discuss the High Needs Block (HNB) budget and provide endorsement. The High Needs Block is a specific allocation of funding within the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) intended to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

School Budget Plans 2025-26

The Schools Forum was scheduled to discuss school budget plans for the 2025-26 academic year. The report pack did not contain any further information on this topic.

School Budget Monitoring Proposal

The Schools Forum was scheduled to discuss a proposal for monitoring school budgets. The report pack did not contain any further information on this topic.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes from the Schools Forum meeting held on 19 June 2025 were included in the report pack.

Some of the key points from the previous meeting were:

• Trudi Sammons, Primary School Representative, Elizabeth Savage, Academy School Representative and Caroline Johnson, Primary School Representative all declared interests in items on the agenda.
• The Forum considered proposals relating to funding for pupils not attending school due to medical reasons, and agreed to an approach for school contributions for the redirection of pupil funding for those that are unable to attend school due to medical reasons, to start in the 2025/26 academic year.
• The Forum received a report which outlined the provisional outturn on the 2024-25 Schools Budget, including the allocation of balances and use of Earmarked Reserves[^1]. [^1]: Earmarked reserves are funds set aside for a specific purpose.
• The Forum noted that the outturn expenditure for 2024-25 showed an overspending of £8.410m, and the cumulative £24.649m deficit balance held in the unusable DSG Adjustment Account, responsibility for which currently rests with the Department for Education to 31 March 2026.
• The Forum received a report which provided an update on the level of balances held as of 31 March 2025 by the 19 schools maintained by the council.
• The Forum noted that aggregate surplus balances have decreased from £1.101m to £0.319m (71%).
• The Forum agreed that the entire significant surplus balances held by schools up to the cap permitted in the claw-back scheme has been assigned for relevant purposes as set out in the approved scheme and should not be subject to claw-back.
• The Forum received a report which presented information on the in-year allocation of funds to mainstream schools through school specific contingencies and other budgets that are funded from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and in the first instance centrally managed by the council.
• The Forum reapproved the policy for the growth fund, the SEN contingency, the additional funds allocated to school facing financial difficulty and the contingency allocation.
• The Forum was notified Jenny Baker, Special School Representative would be stepping down as vice-chair for the next school year.

Election of Chair and Vice Chair

The Schools Forum was scheduled to elect a chair and vice chair.