The North Northamptonshire Schools Forum is scheduled to convene on 11 December 2025 to discuss a range of financial and policy matters affecting schools in the area. Key topics include Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) monitoring, school budget updates, and proposals for funding transfers and de-delegation of services. The forum will also address the permanent exclusion clawback policy and high needs budget pressures.

Financial Monitoring and Budget Updates

The Schools Forum is expected to review the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Monitoring Update for 2025-26, Quarter 2. The report includes the current financial position of the DSG against the budget for 2025-26. Sariya Bi, Senior Finance Business Partner, is scheduled to present the report, which indicates a forecast underspend of £19,000, with a net spend of £445.645 million against an approved budget of £445.665 million. However, the report also highlights a cumulative deficit of £40.763 million, taking into account deficits brought forward from previous years.

The report pack states that the Schools Block is forecasting an underspend of £1.253 million, while the High Needs Block (HNB) is experiencing significant pressure, with a forecast overspend of £1.234 million above the agreed deficit budget of £19.410 million.

The Schools Forum is also expected to receive an update on schools' budget positions based on period 7 monitoring data, presented by Cathryn Walker, Schools Support Team Manager. The report pack states that nine schools are currently operating in deficit. The report includes tailored financial oversight and strategic guidance to address specific challenges, with schools working closely with the finance team to review and refine their recovery plans.

High Needs Block Budget and Funding Proposals

A key item for discussion is the High Needs Block Budget Update, presented by Troy Hobbs, Head of SEND (Interim). The report pack states 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 include:

• Continuing high numbers of statutory assessment requests, resulting in a higher than national growth in the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
• More children and young people being identified with more complex special educational needs and/or disabilities requiring more, and more sophisticated support and higher instances of one-to-one support.
• Mainstream schools are increasingly declining to offer placements for EHCP learners or are 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 (a national trend).

The Schools Forum will also discuss the 2026-27 Transfer from Schools Block to High Needs Block Consultation Update. The report pack states that the forum previously agreed to consult schools on a proposal to transfer 0.5% from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block. The consultation aims to gather input and feedback on the proposed option, with scenario modelling to show what a transfer would fund, what services might be reduced without a transfer, and how pressures might shift back onto schools.

The report pack also sets out that without this transfer there will be fewer resources for early intervention and school inclusion funding that could lead to increased exclusions and higher demand for specialist placements.

De-Delegation Proposals

The Schools Forum is scheduled to consider several de-delegation proposals for 2026-27. These include:

• School Effectiveness Service Proposal, which seeks maintained primary representatives support for the de-delegation proposal.
• Trade Union Facilities Time Proposal, which seeks maintained primary representatives support for the revised per-pupil rate.
• School Insurance Service Consultation, which seeks approval for the de-delegation of primary and secondary schools with a traded service to nursery and special schools.

Permanent Exclusion Clawback Policy

The Schools Forum is expected to discuss the Permanent Exclusions Clawback Policy Update. The report pack states that the local authority is responsible for clawing back funding from schools and academies that permanently exclude pupils, redirecting the funding to support the pupil's continued education. The forum will discuss the outcome of the consultation on the policy for 2026/27 and consider continuing with the policy in line with legislation.

The report pack states that in line with DfE guidance, all schools were consulted in October 2025 and asked to respond in line with whether they agree the clawback policy for 26/27. NNC received 11 responses from 143 schools (this figure includes 1 response that was sent as a response from 8 schools) so in total including this collective response, 19 schools responded. This equates to 13%.

The proposed formula for clawback is as follows:

Using the funding amounts allocated, depending on the pupil meeting the criteria outlined in the link above, we will determine the category of funding each pupil was eligible to receive from various sources.

Once the total annual funding for the pupil has been established, a daily rate will be calculated. This daily rate will then be multiplied by the number of school days remaining in the financial year to calculate the amount to be clawed back from each school.

Other Business

The agenda also includes an opportunity for urgent business to be raised.