The Delegated Decisions by Cabinet Member for Children and Young People meeting, held on Tuesday 24 February 2026, saw the approval of the expansion of the Enhanced Pathways programme, the formal approval of the Early Years Funding Formula for 2026/27, and the commencement of consultation on admission arrangements for community and voluntary controlled schools for 2027-28.

Enhanced Pathways Business Case

Councillor Sean Gaul, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, approved the expansion of the Enhanced Pathways project. This decision will fund an additional 20 pathways, tripling the project's reach to 60 countywide. The aim is to provide a more equitable offer across Oxfordshire to meet the increasing numbers and complexities of children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEND) in mainstream schools, with the expectation of realising probable savings through this spend to save model. The council has also committed to a three-year budgetary commitment for each Enhanced Pathway, subject to significant changes in central government funding for SEND. Opportunities to upscale the programme will be considered and reviewed in line with impact evidence.

The Enhanced Pathways initiative, which is part of the SEND Transformation Programme, provides teacher-led spaces within mainstream schools to support vulnerable SEND students. These pathways offer a specialised curriculum tailored to meet social, emotional, communication, sensory, and academic needs, allowing students to remain in their local mainstream school. The model is designed to avoid escalating costs associated with specialist placements, such as Independent Non-maintained Special School (INMSS) placements or alternative education provision (AEP). The report highlighted that the average cost to support an Enhanced Pathway per year is £57,233.65, with a cohort of around 10 students, equating to an average cost per child of £6,206.06. This is significantly less than the cost of INMSS placements, which can range from £23,000 to £121,000 per year. The expansion is seen as crucial given the rapidly escalating needs and demand on specialist services, with over 76 schools having expressed interest in setting up an Enhanced Pathway. The project aligns with the Council's Strategic Plan priorities to tackle inequalities, prioritise health and wellbeing, and create opportunities for children and young people to reach their full potential.

Formal Approval of Early Years Funding Formula 2026/27

The Cabinet Member formally approved the Early Years Funding Formula for the 2026/27 academic year. This decision ensures that funding increases received by Oxfordshire from the Department for Education (DfE) will be passed on to early years providers, after allowing for centrally retained funding as per DfE criteria. The approved formula sets the underlying hourly rates for different age groups: £6.04 for 3- and 4-year-old provision, £8.29 for 2-year-old working parent provision, £8.29 for 2-year-olds of families receiving additional support, and £11.33 for 9 Months to 2-year-old provision.

The formula adheres to the DfE's Early Years National Funding Formula (EYNFF) framework, which was introduced in 2017-18. The report indicated that the hourly rates from the DfE have increased for 2026-27: by 43p to £6.43 for 3- and 4-year-olds, by 29p to £8.67 for 2-year-olds, and by 39p to £11.74 for 9 months to 2-year-olds. These figures include allocations for central services, supplements, the SEN Inclusion Fund, and contingency. A key aspect of the formula is the minimum pass-through rate to providers, which has increased from 96% to 97% for 2026-27, with Oxfordshire proposing to maintain this rate, retaining 3% centrally. The formula also includes a local universal base rate, a mandatory supplement for deprivation, and funding for the SEN Inclusion Fund and Disability Access Fund (DAF). Early Years providers and the Schools Forum were consulted, with the overwhelming response being to pass on the full increase in hourly rates to providers.

Determination of 2027-28 Admission Arrangements for OCC Community and VC Schools

The meeting initiated the process for determining the admission arrangements for Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) community and voluntary controlled (VC) schools for the 2027-28 academic year. This involves a consultation period running from 1 December 2025 to 26 January 2026. The consultation covers several key documents, including the scheme of co-ordination for normal points of transfer (starting primary, junior, and secondary school), the rules and over-subscription criteria for community and VC schools, and the published admission numbers for these schools. A voluntary co-ordinated scheme for in-year transfers between schools is also part of the consultation.

The School Admissions Code 2021 requires admission authorities to consult when changes are proposed to admission arrangements that will apply for the following school year, or at least once every seven years. Oxfordshire Council, as the admission authority for all community and VC schools, is responsible for determining these arrangements. The consultation will be publicised through social media, Schools News, and direct communications with schools and other interested parties, and will be available on the Let's Talk Oxfordshire consultation pages. The term admission arrangements encompasses the entire procedure for applying for school places, processing requests, and allocating places, including any devices or means used to determine offers. This includes the standard admission policy for community and VC schools and their published admission numbers. All admission authorities in Oxfordshire must participate in the co-ordinated scheme for phased transfers. The co-ordinated in-year scheme is voluntary, but Oxfordshire continues to operate one, with all community and VC schools being part of it. Other Admission Authority (OAA) schools are assumed to participate unless they have opted out, though they must still comply with the School Admissions Code and cooperate with the local authority.