Cornwall Schools Forum - 26 June 2026

The meeting of the Cornwall Council Schools Forum opened with the formal approval of the previous meeting's minutes. It was reported that Tom Richardson had been re-appointed as a PVI representative, and a second PVI vacancy had been filled. Changes were noted with Rob Gasson retiring and being replaced by Helen Casson as the Alternative Provision Schools and Academies Representative, while Martin Tucker's retirement left a Further Education vacancy. The Chair thanked both retiring members for their service.

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to updates on the 2025/26 school funding formula. The Forum was informed that a growth fund of approximately £180,000 had been created from a further adjustment to basic entitlement rates, resulting in an average reduction of £330 per primary school and £3,200 per secondary school. It was acknowledged that this proposal had not been presented to the Forum prior to implementation. Additionally, in line with a previous agreement, a 0.25% reduction to basic entitlement factors and a scaling factor within the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) had been introduced to balance the formula against the grant allocation. The Forum noted that these changes amounted to a redistribution of existing resources, driven by block transfer arrangements and rising sparsity funding eligibility, which continued to cap some school budgets.

Updates on the High Needs Block and SEND reform were also provided. The local authority had submitted its Local SEND Reform Plan to the Department for Education (DfE); if approved, it would release the High Needs Stability Grant to fund approximately 90% of the cumulative deficit. A verbal update on the High Needs Block Transfer, valued at £1.9 million, proposed devolving funding to a place-based neighbourhood model where schools would coordinate local services. Forum members welcomed this initial discussion and requested a more detailed report on the options for revising the distribution of this funding.

The meeting also covered several administrative and future planning items. A verbal update was provided on the Redundancy Fund, confirming it covered statutory payments for maintained schools only. Forum members expressed a preference for written reports to be circulated in advance for future meetings. An annual evaluation form was to be completed by members and returned by 31 July 2026, with results reported back in February 2027. The proposed work plan for 2026–27 would retain the existing format, with the SEN Reform Plan item renamed to SEN Plan Implementation.

Updates on the Music Hub and the increasing demand for Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans were also discussed. It was reported that Hall for Cornwall would assume responsibility for the Music Hub from September 2026 following a competitive procurement process by Arts Council England, resolving previous invoice disputes. Regarding SEND, the Forum was advised that demand for assessments continues to rise, with 95 requests received in the previous 15 days. Planned interventions were expected to take 18 months to show measurable impacts, with a three-year transition period anticipated. The authority aims to reduce reliance on independent specialist placements, requiring mainstream schools to support more pupils with complex needs through additional funding, accommodation, and staff training, backed by secured funding for implementation.