Teachernet, Schools Forums

Schools Forums

Education Finance Officer News for detailed updates on school funding.

Schools Forums regulations
The Department has written to Directors of Children's Services with guidance on the Schools Forum (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2008. (Added 18 January 2008.)

Schools Forums responsibilities
A spreadsheet outlining the responsibilities of Schools Forums is available to download. (Added 16 January 2008.)

Consultation Schools Forums (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007
The Department has published for consultation draft Schools Forums Amendment Regulations 2007, together with draft School Finance Regulations 2008 (added 20 September 2007).

School funding updates
The Department has written to local authorities (LAs) on the following:

to report on responses to the terms of reference for the review of the school funding system for 2008-09 and beyond
academic year budgets
deprivation funding at school level — publication of authorities' statements and next steps
teachers' pensions employers' contributions — advice on increases from January 2007.

(Added 4 August 2006)

Review of the new school funding arrangements
The Government is reviewing how the new school funding arrangements introduced from 1 April 2006 are working. Terms of reference for the review were published on 6 April 2006. LAs, Schools Forums and the DfES's national education partners have been invited to comment on the issues to be covered in the first phase of the review by 31 May 2006. (Added 6 April 2006)

Schemes for financing schools
Consultation on proposed changes to DfES guidance on LAs' Schemes for Financing Schools was launched on 6 April 2006. Local authorities, Schools Forums and the DfES's national education partners have been invited to comment by 30 June 2006. (Added 6 April 2006)

New role for Schools Forums
Schools Forums have an important new role under the new school funding arrangements being introduced from April 2006. Not only will they continue to have their consultative role in relation to the local distribution of school funding, they will also be able to decide on certain proposals from their LA which currently have to come to the Secretary of State for decision.

Guidance for Schools Forums on their role
New operational and good practice guidance for Schools Forums to help support them in their new role is available. (Added 2 December 2005)

Schools Forum Regulations
In support of Schools Forums' new role, the Schools Forum Regulations have also been amended to formalise some existing practices and to bring greater consistency to the way Schools Forums across the country operate and how they are constituted. (added 2 December 2005)

New technical guides for Schools Forums
New Schools Forum Guides to the specific areas which Schools Forums will be responsible for under the new school funding arrangements have also been published. (added 2 December 2005)

The guides cover: