Decision details

To request approval to consult early years’ providers, mainstream schools and academies and special schools and academies within North Yorkshire on early years’, mainstream school and special school funding proposals for the 2025/26 financial year.

That the following consultations to be undertaken:

a. With mainstream schools and academies within North Yorkshire; subject to the receipt of the 2025/26 funding information from the DfE and based on previous years, the expected consultation content is:

• The level of the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) for 2025/26
• The methodology to be used in the event of any surplus or shortfall in funding on the Schools Block DSG after the calculation of school funding formula allocations using the NFF values, as determined by the DfE.
• The calculation of the notional SEN budget, based on the latest analysis of the numbers of pupils with SEND in mainstream schools and academies.
• Any request by the local authority to transfer funding from the Schools Block DSG to the High Needs Block budget for the 2025/26 financial year

b. With special schools and academies within North Yorkshire; subject to the receipt of the 2025/26 funding information from the DfE and based on previous years, the expected consultation content is:

• The level of the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) for 2025/26, in the event of the funding level increase not being prescribed by the DfE.

c. With early years providers within North Yorkshire; subject to the receipt of the 2025/26 funding information from the DfE and based on previous years, the expected consultation content is:

• The early years provider base funding rates for 3 and 4-year-olds (universal and extended entitlement), 2-year-olds (disadvantaged and working parents) and 9-month-olds of working parents for 2025/26
• The value of the early years Special Educational Needs Inclusion Fund (SENIF) for 2025/26

Any other funding consultation deemed to be required as a result of the implementation of the expansion of early years funded provision

Under normal circumstances, the Department for Education (DfE) provide information in mid / late July each year on indicative funding levels and funding formula changes for the DSG Schools Block, High Needs Block and Central School Services Block for the following financial year. The funding information for the Early Years Block DSG is usually received in November / December each year from the DfE. The date of the provision of the 2025/26 DSG funding information is uncertain due to the General Election on the 4 July 2024. The determination of budgets from the DSG funding sources for mainstream schools, special schools and early years’ providers require local decisions, and associated consultation, to be undertaken on the funding formula elements in respect of the level of the MFG and early years’ provider base funding rates. At this stage, it is anticipated that the local decision-making process, and associated consultation with stakeholders, will continue to be required for the 2025/26 funding determination process