Haringey Council has finalised its schools funding formula for the 2026-27 academic year, ensuring a consistent approach aligned with the Department for Education's National Funding Formula (NFF).
The decision, approved by Councillor Zena Brabazon, Cabinet Member for Children, Schools & Families, on January 21, 2026, sets out the parameters for how schools across the borough will be funded.
The approved strategy adopts the NFF Model with a Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) of 0% for all schools. The allowable range for setting the MFG for 2026-27 is between -0.5% to 0%, and with the final settlement figures, the MFG for Haringey schools is therefore set at 0%. This means schools will not receive a guaranteed minimum increase in funding per pupil compared to the previous year.
A transfer of 0.50% from the Schools Block allocation to the High Needs Block has been confirmed. This transfer is to support the DfE Safety Valve programme, which aims to reduce the High Needs Block deficit, as agreed under a safety valve agreement with the Department for Education.
The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), which funds schools, has seen an overall increase of £6.371 million, primarily due to additional grants rolled into the DSG totalling £6.754 million. This increase offsets the impact of a decrease in the total pupil count.
The Growth/Falling Rolls Fund will be set at £666,629, and £210,042 will be de-delegated for Trade Union Representation for maintained schools to cover the costs associated with this service.
Additionally, a block transfer of £122,000 from the Schools Block to the Central Block for Education Welfare Services has been agreed, pending necessary consent from the Department for Education. This transfer indicates a commitment of funds to support these services, which in turn would benefit the schools that rely on them.
The council was legally required to submit its local schools funding formula to the Education and Skills Funding Agency by January 22, 2026. This decision ensures that statutory deadline is met. The statutory framework requires the Council to consult with its school's forum and schools maintained by it about any proposed changes to the funding formula. The Director of Legal and Governance verified compliance with these statutory requirements and consultation obligations.
Model 1, which utilises 100% of NFF values, was recommended for adoption by the Schools' Block Working Group to ensure consistency and prevent future funding fluctuations for Haringey schools. The DSG is divided into four blocks: Schools Block, High Needs Block, Early Years Block, and Central School Services Block.
The Equalities comments highlight a positive impact on young people, particularly disabled children, through targeted allocations to support special educational needs for children in schools. These targeted allocations of SEND support are expected to benefit disabled children.
Further details on the indicative allocations for each school for the 2026-27 financial year can be found in Appendix 1 of the public reports pack (Public reports pack 21st-Jan-2026 09.30 Cabinet Member Signing.pdf), and the results of the schools block consultation are detailed in Appendix 2 (Appendix 2 - Schools Block Consultation Results.pdf). The consultation on the High Needs Block transfer of 0.5%, the Growth Funding budget, and the de-delegation for Trade Union Facilities received a total of 27 responses for the 2026-27 period.
