Enfield schools are grappling with a significant financial strain, primarily driven by increasing demands and costs associated with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provisions. This has led to a projected £4.4 million overspend, according to a report presented at the Enfield Council Schools Forum on 3 December 2025.
The report, detailed in the Public Reports Pack, presented by Melissa Williamson, Strategic Finance Manager, during a discussion on the 2025/26 Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) update, attributes the high needs overspend to ongoing increases in demands and costs of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision and support.
The projected overspend contributes to a cumulative DSG deficit forecast of £21.889 million. The DSG allocation before recoupment and deductions was £462.681 million, a decrease of £1.450 million since December 2024. After deductions, the DSG allocation was £266.527 million, a decrease of £189.848 million since December 2024. This significant decrease is primarily due to deductions for academy recoupment and in-year academy conversions. The report states that funding is deducted from the local authority schools block for direct funding of academies by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), and the local authority mainstream school budget is adjusted to reflect this change.
To address the £4.4 million overspend in SEND provisions, the report indicates that the challenging financial environment will need to be managed, and savings identified in other services/provision funded centrally from the high needs block.