Pre-16 schools funding: local authority guidance for 2025 to 2026
Local authority guidance for implementing the funding system for the 2025 to 2026 financial year.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
At the October budget we announced an additional £2.3 billion for mainstream schools and young people with high needs in 2025 to 2026. This means that core school funding will total almost £63.9 billion next financial year.
£1 billion of this increase is being allocated as high needs funding in 2025 to 2026, recognising the continued increase in costs. This brings total high needs funding to £11.9 billion.
The further £1.3 billion will cover the remaining costs of the 2024 teachers’ pay award in mainstream schools, so that the full 12 months of salary costs are fully funded at a national level; an increase to the mainstream schools national funding formula (NFF), and increases to the pupil premium and other elements of core funding.
Dedicated schools grant (DSG) allocations will be published in December 2024.
Schools revenue funding operational guide: 2025 to 2026
Local authorities and schools forums should use this guidance to plan the local implementation of the mainstream schools funding system for the 2025 to 2026 financial year.
The notional SEN budget: operational guidance
This guidance has been written to help local authorities comply with the notional special educational needs (SEN) budget requirement. Local authorities are required to identify a notional amount to guide mainstream schools in their spending to meet the costs of additional support for the school’s pupils with SEN.
Growth and falling rolls fund guidance: 2025 to 2026
Local authorities should use this guidance when setting up funds for growth or falling rolls - providing some more detail above what is in the schools revenue funding operational guide: 2025 to 2026. The guidance includes examples of compliant criteria.
Private finance initiative (PFI) factor in the schools national funding formula (NFF) guidance
Guidance for mainstream schools with pupils aged 5 to 16, and local authorities, to understand the operation of the PFI factor in the schools NFF, and the equivalent local authority funding formulae.
Private finance initiative (PFI) affordability model template
Local authorities can use this template to model the amount of funding allocated through the PFI factor in the schools NFF.
Allowable factor value ranges: 2025 to 2026
We have published a spreadsheet which shows the allowable factor value ranges for each local authority in 2025 to 2026.
Disapplication proforma: 2025 to 2026
There is a digital form for all disapplication requests, and it is important that local authorities complete all relevant forms before submitting. Further information is available in the guidance for completing the disapplications form.
All safety valve local authorities should contact [email protected] to discuss the appropriate route for submitting requests before proceeding.
Please refer to the ’transfer between blocks’ section of the ‘schools revenue funding operational guide: 2025 to 2026’ for further information on block transfer requests, including details of the supporting evidence we would expect to be submitted as part of the request.
Further information
Read the high needs funding 2025 to 2026: operational guide for information for local authorities, schools and colleges about high needs funding arrangements for the 2025 to 2026 financial and academic year.
You can read the national funding formula for schools and high needs policy document for further details of the NFF allocations for 2025 to 2026.
You can view the provisional national funding formula allocation tables for schools, high needs and central school services blocks for 2025 to 2026.
The authority proforma tool (APT) is designed to support local authorities in modelling different options for their funding formulae. It is also how local authorities submit details of their schools funding formulae to us, in accordance with arrangements set out by the Secretary of State for Education. The information submitted in the APT also allows us to calculate academy budgets and recoupment deductions to dedicated schools grant allocations. The APT for 2025 to 2026 and guidance on how to complete the APT is now available for local authorities to download.
Read the schools operational guide: 2024 to 2025 for information about planning the local implementation of the mainstream schools funding system for the 2024 to 2025 financial year.
Updates to this page
Published 3 October 2024Last updated 28 November 2024 + show all updates
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We have published the following documents: - Schools revenue funding operational guide: 2025 to 2026 - The notional special educational needs (SEN) budget for mainstream schools: operational guidance 2025 to 2026 - Growth and falling rolls fund guidance: 2025 to 2026 - Private finance initiative (PFI) funding guidance - Private finance initiative (PFI) affordability model template - Allowable factor value ranges: 2025 to 2026
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We have updated the 'Summary policy note for schools and high needs national funding formula 2025 to 2026' to amend a typing error in one of the figures in table 1.
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We have updated the 'Summary policy note for schools and high needs national funding formula 2025 to 2026' to include indicative schools national funding formula (NFF) factor values, alongside information on the mainstream schools, high needs, and central school services funding for 2025 to 2026. It also includes details on the grants being rolled into the schools NFF from 2025 to 2026, and an annex which includes information to support disapplication requests.
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We have updated the 'Details' section of the Pre-16 schools funding: local authority guidance for 2025 to 2026 landing page, following the October 2024 budget announcement.
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First published.