The Bristol Schools Forum met on 30 September 2025 to discuss the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) budget, the National Funding Formula (NFF), and the School Organisation Strategy. Councillor Christine Townsend, Chair of the Children and Young People Committee, and representatives from schools, trade unions and the Diocese were scheduled to be in attendance. The forum was also expected to nominate representatives for the Schools' Forum Finance sub-group.

School Organisation Strategy Update

The forum was scheduled to discuss the draft School Organisation Strategy, which considers educational needs across all phases, from early years to post-16 and specialist education.

The key aims of the strategy are:

• To review school places, particularly in primary education, and reduce surplus capacity by at least 50%.
• To continue efforts to secure sufficient early years provision.
• To plan strategically to accommodate fluctuating secondary and post 16 demand.
• To expand and adjust specialist provision for Special Educational Needs and/or Disability (SEND).
• To recognise the impact of socio-economic inequality, population mobility, and sanctuary-seeking children on planning decisions.

The report pack notes that birth rates in Bristol rose between 2008 and 2012, but that they have since receded, with a 27% decrease in estimated births between 2011/2012 and 2022/2023. It also notes that in 2025, 65 out of 98 Bristol primary schools with admission from Reception were undersubscribed.

The report pack states that analysis suggests a reduction of 18.5 forms of entry¹ across the city's primary schools is recommended.

The report pack also notes that demand for year 7 secondary school places peaked in 2024/2025, and that applications for September 2025 have fallen. It states that the council is not recommending any reductions in Published Admission Numbers² (PAN) currently, but that this will be reviewed in the next strategy update in September 2028.

The report pack identifies a sufficiency gap in post-16 provision, particularly in relation to Entry Level and Level 1 courses³.

With regards to SEND, the report pack states that there are over 13,000 children and young people living in Bristol with SEND. It notes that the number of children and young people with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in Bristol increased by 18% between 2023 and 2024, compared to an increase of 11% nationally.

The report pack states that the council is consulting on the draft strategy with schools, trusts, councillors, MPs, governors, other local authorities, the Bristol Parent and Carer Forum, early years and nursery settings, private and independent schools, the Diocese, and members of the public.

National Funding Formula and DSG Funding Update

The forum was scheduled to receive an update on the National Funding Formula (NFF) and Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) funding for 2026/27. The report pack states that the Department for Education (DfE) provides pre-16 funding for schools to local authorities via the DSG, and that the NFF currently calculates the schools block of the DSG.

The report pack notes that for 2025/26, the Schools Forum approved the schools block funding formula, which is used to allocate funds to all schools. It also notes that the minimum NFF requirements for 2026/27 are not yet known, but that a further move of 10% closer to the NFF values where required should be expected.

The report pack states that local Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) protections are expected to remain in place for 2026/27, which in 2025/26 was required to be between plus 0% and minus 0.5% per pupil compared to per pupil funding in 2024/25.

The report pack confirms that the early years retention rate is going to reduce with effect from April 2026 from 4% to 3%, thus ensuring the Early Years funding passed through to all providers for 2026/27 will be a minimum of 97% of the total Early Years Block of the DSG.

The forum was also expected to consider the membership and agree the representatives for considering the 2026/27 school funding formula. The current membership of the Schools' Forum Finance sub-group is:

• Mandy Cheshire from Bristol Schools' Forum
• Melanie Bunce from Bristol Schools' Forum
• Merche Clark from Bristol Schools' Forum
• Simon Eakins from Bristol Schools' Forum
• Steve Hornsby from Bristol Schools' Forum
• Steven Goodwin from Bristol City Council
• Levi Mapstone and Andrew McKerchar from Bristol City Council

Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Budget Monitor

The forum was scheduled to receive an update on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) budget for Quarter 1 (Q1) of 2025/26, up to the end of May 2025.

The report pack notes that the revised DSG for 2025/26 at May 2025 is £547.840 million, and that the DSG is forecasting to overspend by £25.5 million in 2025/26.

The report pack states that the cumulative forecast deficit on the DSG is £76.8 million, which is £35.5 million off track from the original estimated deficit of £41.3 million for 2025/26 that was included in the Safety Valve agreement⁴ with the DfE.

The forecast includes an in-year overspend of £25.4 million on the High Needs Block, which is due to both the increasing numbers of children and young people with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) being placed in high-cost Independent Non-Maintained Schools resulting from a current lack of sufficiency of local maintained provision, together with associated EHCP top-up funding to schools and academies, and also from delays in the development of new local provision.

Growth Fund

The forum was scheduled to discuss the Growth Fund. The report pack includes a table summarising the Growth Fund for 2025-26: