Hounslow schools are set to receive a £203,000 financial boost in 2026-27, thanks to a newly established contingency fund. The Hounslow Council Schools Forum agreed to the de-delegation of funds at its meeting on Monday, 17 November 2025, to create the financial safety net for maintained schools facing significant difficulties. This is a new initiative for the 2026-27 financial year, with the council requesting the same de-delegations as in 2025-26, alongside this new contingency fund to support maintained schools in financial difficulty.
The contingency fund is a key component of the Hounslow Schools Financial Sustainability Programme (HSFSP) and represents approximately 5% of the forecasted cumulative closing deficit reserve (£4.1m) for 2025/26.
The decision was made during a discussion of the 2026-27 expenditure funded from the schools block, as detailed in the Schools Forum Supplementary Agenda. The move aims to provide targeted support for maintained schools facing significant financial distress, addressing cost pressures and an anticipated increase in schools joining the sustainability programme. The fund will address issues that cannot be funded through Falling Rolls allocations under Department for Education (DfE) guidance, which is specifically prohibited for schools in financial difficulty.
The Schools Forum was asked to agree to the de-delegation of budget as set out in section 4 Table 1 of the Expenditure Funded from Schools Block Report to fund several initiatives, including the new contingency fund (£203,131).
The Expenditure Funded from Schools Block Report notes that if demands on contingency budgets exceed available reserves, this may affect de-delegation requests in the following financial year. Any underspend will be carried forward in the reserve for future use.
