The Schools Forum of Buckinghamshire Council was scheduled to discuss the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for the 2025-26 financial year and the High Needs Budget for 2026-27. The meeting also included an update on the Early Years Block funding.

Dedicated Schools Grant – Revenue Budget Monitoring 2025-26

The Schools Forum was scheduled to receive an update on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) budget monitoring for the 2025-26 financial year, as of Period 10. The report indicated that the overall budgeted in-year deficit for the DSG was £22.9 million, primarily stemming from spending pressures within the High Needs Block. The forecast cumulative DSG reserve deficit was projected to be £47.4 million as at 31 March 2026. The report detailed variations within the High Needs Block, including increases in unit costs for Special School top-ups and volumes of pupils attending out-of-borough special schools, as well as an increase in alternative provision pupil volumes. Conversely, there was a favourable variance due to lower costs and volumes in independent schools, and lower costs for mainstream top-ups. The report also noted that 90% of the projected deficit as at 31 March 2026 would be funded by the High Needs Stability Grant, subject to certain conditions, leaving a £4.74 million deficit for the Council to fund.

High Needs Budget Update 2026-27

The High Needs Budget for 2026-27 was scheduled for discussion, following updates to the funding settlement. The Department for Education (DfE) had temporarily suspended the high needs national funding formula, with allocations for 2026-27 based on 2025-26 figures, resulting in no increase in the High Needs Block funding. This led to a revised deficit budget of £30.3 million for 2026-27, alongside a new £4 million savings target. The DfE announced that 90% of deficits up to the end of 2025-26 would be grant-funded, meaning £42.6 million of Buckinghamshire's projected £47.4 million deficit would be covered. The High Needs Stability Grant would only be paid once a local SEND reform plan was approved. The report outlined projected pressures and savings for the 2026-27 High Needs Block, including increased demand, uplifts, backlog reduction, and commitments to the Core Schools Budget Grant (CSBG) mainstreaming. Savings proposals included promoting independence for post-18 provision, retaining primary children within mainstream schools, increasing autism capacity, reviewing the Portage Service, and delivering additional places in special schools and alternative provision for SEN.

The meeting was also scheduled to consider the government's White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, which proposed reforms to the SEND system and included announcements on additional funding, an increase in SEND places, and legislative plans for the independent specialist sector. The reforms suggested a three-layer support system for SEND needs, with EHCPs used at the specialist level.

Early Years Block

The funding arrangements for the Early Years Block in 2026-27 were to be discussed, including an increase in the minimum pass-through requirement for local authorities to 97%. A statutory requirement for local authorities to announce funding rates to childcare providers by 28 February 2026 was noted as already met by Buckinghamshire. Information on the Council's move to a termly funding system for all early years funding streams from the 2026-27 financial year and changes to the eligibility criteria for the Special Educational Needs Inclusion Fund (SENIF) were also on the agenda. The Early Years Manager was expected to report on increasing the inclusion fund for low-level SEN needs and an increased contingency fund for vulnerable early years settings.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous Schools Forum meeting, held on 13 January 2026, were scheduled for agreement. These minutes covered discussions on de-delegation proposals for 2026-27, including recommendations for a contingency fund for schools in deficit, contingency for deficits of closing schools, trade union facilities, and supply cover for small schools. They also detailed recommendations for de-delegation for former ESG funded services, such as finance support and educational visits, and for school improvement activity. The minutes also recorded the agreement of proposals for de-delegation in 2026-27 based on the recommendations of the Maintained Schools Sub-Committee.

The meeting also included an item on the exclusion of press and public for confidential minutes of a meeting held on 2 December, and a discussion on facilities funding for teacher unions for 2026/27, which had already been discussed under de-delegation proposals. The date of the next meeting was also to be confirmed.