Agenda item

The Forum received a report which provided an update on the latest information from the Department of Education (DfE) in respect of the 2025-26 Financial Settlement for schools and the responses received from schools to the annual financial consultation.

The report also sought views from the Forum regarding whether schools should be consulted on widening the calculation of the Block Transfer from the Schools Block (SB) to the High Needs Block (HNB) to include those schools funded at the lowest per pupil amount normally permitted by the DfE through the Minimum Per Pupil Funding Level (MPPFL).

Paul Clark provided the Forum with a presentation on the 2025-26 financial settlement. The Forum was reminded that £2.3 billion of additional funding had been allocated for schools, of which £1 billion was designated for SEND. This funding would need to cover the 2024-25 pay settlement as well as the 2025-26 pay award.

Paul Clark explained that, in practical terms, this would represent a 0.5% increase in funding once the 2024-25 grants were integrated into the 2025-26 National Funding Formula (NFF) rates.

Paul Clark also confirmed the funding protection mechanisms for 2024-25. These included:

• The minimum funding guarantee level must be set at between a -0.5% and 0.0% increase per pupil from 2024-25, or 0.0% for special schools.
• The Mainstream Pupil Funding Levels would ensure that primary schools received at least £4,955 per pupil and secondary schools at least £6,465 per pupil.

Arising from discussion and questions the following points were raised:

• There was no indication that the financial challenges facing schools would ease following this announcement.
• Councillor Bailey would write to the Secretary of State to highlight concerns about the local funding formula and its impact on smaller schools, including single-form primary schools. He would request that the DfE consider how these schools could be better protected. (Action: Cllr Bailey)
• A request was made for a paper discussing the approach to single-form primary schools in Bracknell Forest to be presented at a future Schools Forum meeting. (Action: Duane Chappell)
• Additional information from central government was needed to clarify the impact of employer national insurance increases.

RESOLVED that the Schools Forum AGREES that after taking account of the school responses to the October 2024 financial consultation:

• That after taking account of the school responses to the October 2024 financial consultation that de-delegation of budgets for Maintained Secondary Schools continues for the services requested by the council.

• That a consultation should be undertaken with all schools to gather views on whether the calculation of the Block Transfer from the Schools Block to the High Needs Block budget should be updated to include schools funded at the Minimum Per Pupil Funding Level.

The Schools Forum agreed to defer decisions on the following decisions until the meeting of 5 December 2024:

• Whether de-delegation of budgets for Maintained Primary Schools continues for the services requested by the council.
• Whether a £20 per pupil contribution continues to be made by maintained schools towards the cost of delivering ‘general’ education related statutory and regulatory duties.