The North Northamptonshire Schools Forum met on 11 December 2025 to discuss a range of issues including Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) monitoring, school budget updates, and proposals for funding transfers and de-delegation for the 2026-27 financial year. The forum was also scheduled to discuss a permanent exclusions clawback policy update, and to receive an update on the consultation regarding a transfer from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block.

High Needs Block Budget

Troy Hobbs, Head of SEND (Interim), was scheduled to present an update on the High Needs Block (HNB) budget¹ . The report noted that the HNB budget for 2025/26 was set at £85.1 million, including an in-year pressure of £19.4 million. The causes of the projected overspend were identified as:

• high numbers of statutory assessment requests
• more children and young people being identified with complex special educational needs or disabilities
• mainstream schools declining placements for Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) learners² or making conditional offers with higher levels of Element 3 top-up funding
• increased parental preference for children and young people to be educated in specialist settings
• the need to place children and young people with complex SEND in independent special schools, due to a lack of capacity in local state-funded special schools

Mitigation work has included:

• 'Bring Backs' making Education Otherwise Than at School and other education arrangements for children and young people at independent special schools
• Reviewing and revising SEND Panel attendance and training
• Closely supervised casework negotiations with education providers by EHC Managers, Officers and Case Workers
• A review of banding funding arrangements
• Progressing eight mainstream school expressions of interest in developing Additional Resourced Provision, SEND Units and Alternative Provision from the first round of the SEND specialist placement sufficiency strategy
• Closer engagement across all council departments and with all statutory partners in coordinating understanding of the growing SEND demand and collaboration and coordination of strategic responses through the SEND Accountability & Improvement Board

The report also noted that more work needs to be done between the Local Authority, Integrated Commissioning Board (ICB), Northamptonshire Children's Trust (NCT) and early years settings and schools to ensure that more children and young people can effectively have their SEND met at pre-EHCP stages, through early intervention.

The Schools Forum was asked to note the increases in requests for statutory assessment, the increases of EHCPs, and associated budgetary pressures.

Transfer from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block

The forum was scheduled to receive an update on the 2026-27 transfer from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block. The report noted that North Northamptonshire Council intends to consult schools on a proposal to transfer funding from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block for the 2026-27 financial year, due to ongoing and increasing cost pressures on the High Needs Block. The cumulative High Needs budget deficit is £20.890m as at Quarter 1.

The report also provided details of ways in which the Schools Block transfer would support work with children and young people with SEND, including:

• Inclusive Schools Funding
• Supporting the development and impact of a LA-led SENCO Network
• Growing the special school outreach model of support
• Building additional SEND leadership capacity

The Schools Forum was asked to note the increasing pressures within the High Needs Block, the work being undertaken by officers to develop a proposal to manage the High Needs Funding envelope, and to confirm agreement of a transfer of at least 0.5% from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block following agreement at consultation.

Permanent Exclusion Clawback Policy

The Schools Forum was scheduled to discuss the outcome of the consultation on the Permanent Exclusion Clawback Policy 2025-26. The report noted that it is the responsibility of the LA to clawback funding from schools and academies that permanently exclude pupils, and that in line with DfE guidance, clawback ensures that funding allocated for a pupil is recovered from the excluding school and redirected to support the pupil's continued education, typically in alternative provision.

The proposed policy is to continue to align the LA policy with current legislation and government guidance with respect to funding clawback for pupils who are permanently excluded. The clawback of funding from schools and academies will be based on the per pupil funding formula that the individual excluded pupil would have generated for the school's budget share and pupil premium grants.

The Schools Forum was asked to approve the updated policy changes.

De-Delegation Proposals

The Schools Forum was scheduled to consider proposals for de-delegation of funding for school effectiveness and trade union facilities time for maintained schools for 2026-27.

School Effectiveness

The report outlined the work of the School Effectiveness Team (SET), which is funded from the Central Schools Services Block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG). The SET provides essential services enabling School Improvement Advisors (SIAs) and the Associate Head Teacher (AHT) to provide direct support for maintained schools requiring specific targeted improvement.

The council proposed to ask maintained schools' representatives to increase de-delegation for this purpose to £14.02 in line with the inflationary increase in teachers' pay.

The Schools Forum was asked to agree to the inflationary increase to enable the continuation of the work being undertaken.

Trade Union Facilities Time

The Forum was to consider a proposal for de-delegation of Trade Union Facilities Time for Maintained Schools. North Northamptonshire Council has a Recognition Agreement with trade unions, and for trade unions recognised to represent employee groups based within local authority-maintained schools, time off for trade union duties and activities is determined on an annual basis.

The Schools Forum was asked to vote to pool their facility time arrangements in 2026/27 between maintained schools falling within North Northamptonshire, and also to vote on a per pupil rate. Three options were presented for consideration:

• Option 1: Retain the current per-pupil funding level of £4.00.
• Option 2: Increase the current rate of £4.00 in line with the teacher pay settlement of 4%, resulting in a new rate of £4.16 per pupil.
• Option 3: Increase the current rate in line with the National Funding Formula (NFF) percentage increase, resulting in a rate of £4.08 per pupil.

National Funding Formula

Sariya Bi, Senior Finance Business Partner, was scheduled to present details of the National Funding Formula (NFF) 2026-27 policy publication for schools, and North Northamptonshire Council's local formula proposal for school budgets. Key changes to the schools NFF in 2026-27 are:

• rolling in the 2025-26 mainstream schools' elements of the Schools Budget Support Grant (SBSG) and the National Insurance Contribution (NICs) grant into the NFF
• almost all factor values in the schools NFF have increased from 2025-26
• all primary schools will attract at least £5115 per pupil, and all secondary schools at least £6640 per pupil
• the funding floor will continue to protect schools from sudden drops in their funding, and is set at 0%

The Schools Forum needed to decide whether to transfer 0.5% from Schools Block to High Needs Block, whether to set the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) at 0% or at minus 0.5%, and whether to allocate £1,248,375 to Growth Fund to address the shortage of school places in North Northamptonshire and to accommodate significant bulge classes in North Northamptonshire in 2026-27.

DSG Monitoring Update

Sariya Bi, Senior Finance Business Partner, was also scheduled to present the current financial position of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) against the budget for 2025-26. The DSG Grant for 2025/26 amounted to £427.219m, this was adjusted and agreed at full council to include a budget deficit of £19.410m on for the High Needs Block. The forecast outturn is an underspend of £19k, and the total cumulative deficit by the end of the financial year is expected to be £40.763m.

The Schools Forum was asked to note this report.

School Monitoring Update

Cathryn Walker, Schools Support Team Manager, was scheduled to present a report informing schools forum of the current year's budget position based on the first 7 months representing April 2025 to October 2025, and consequently the anticipated year end balances forecast. As of P7, a total of nine schools have been identified as operating in deficit.

The Schools Forum was asked to note the current year's budget position based on Period 5 monitoring.

Other Matters

The agenda for the meeting also included:

• Apologies for non-attendance, Forum membership changes and declarations of interest
• Minutes of meeting held on 16th October 2025 and points arising/officer feedback
• 2026-27 De-Delegation: School Insurance Service Consultation
• Urgent Business