Redbridge Schools to Receive Support for Financial Difficulties, Including Recovery Plans and Expert Advice

Redbridge schools facing financial difficulties are set to receive targeted support from the council, including recovery plans and access to expert advice. Schools identified as needing support may face consequences if they do not engage with the plans.

The Redbridge Schools Forum met on 20 November 2025 to discuss the support the council intends to offer schools in deficit and facing financial challenges. According to the Schools in Financial Difficulty agenda item, the Schools Finance Team is ready to begin assessing schools. The council plans to work with schools to develop recovery plans and facilitate access to the Department for Education's (DfE) School Resource Management Advisor (SRMA) programme.

Primary and special schools with surpluses at 4% or less of their total revenue for 2024-25, and secondary schools with surpluses at 3% or less, will be RAG rated to assess their financial health. The council will then meet with these schools to discuss their financial problems, mitigation plans, and DfE support options.

Beyond the SRMA program, the council will also produce a list of schools that the DfE can help to support in creating a robust recovery plan. The council will confirm with the school whether the DfE support would be beneficial. If a strategic plan is needed, it will be considered in collaboration with the Council's Director of Education and the Schools Finance Team.

Schools in a known deficit position will be encouraged to utilise the free SRMA offer, which the local authority can arrange. The SRMA programme involves a detailed review of a school's financial position to help create a robust recovery plan or identify resource gaps.

Schools that cannot demonstrate that a cash advance can be repaid on a short time frame will be identified as needing financial support and a financial recovery plan, and the council will not provide a cash advancement. Schools must submit a recovery plan to the Local Authority when their budget goes into deficit at 31st March of any year. The council will monitor Recovery Plan progress against the Quarterly returns.