Oxfordshire Schools' Forum
Our schools' forum, which represents the governors and headteachers of our schools.
About the Schools' Forum
The government requires every local authority to set up a schools' forum.
Its purpose is to provide strategic direction for the funding of schools in the local authority and support services in relation to new school funding arrangements covering:
- the Dedicated Schools' Grant (DSG)
- the Schools' Budget (centrally retained and Individual School Budget)
- wider issues such as service contracts and service level agreements.
The following regulations govern the composition, constitution and procedures of the schools' forum:
- Section 47A of The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (as amended) requires every local authority to establish a schools' forum.
- The Schools Forums (England) Regulations 2012 No 2261 (pdf format, 72Kb) govern the composition, constitution and procedures of the schools' forum.
Constitution
The forum is required to operate in accordance with a formal constitution:
- Constitution and Terms of Reference (pdf format, 42Kb)
- Schools' Forum membership list (pdf format, 41Kb)
Further information and guidance
- Responsibilities of the schools' forum (pdf format, 223Kb)
- Schools Forums: Operational and Good Practice Guide for Local Authorities and Members of Schools Forums (pdf format, 325Kb)
- Schools forums structures (pdf format, 183Kb)
- Template for Schools Forum papers (pdf format, 126Kb)
- Protocol for papers to Schools Forum (pdf format, 90Kb)
The Oxfordshire Schools Forum has two committees and one working group affiliated to it:
- Schools and High Needs Committee
- Services and Contracts Committee
The minutes of these committees/working groups can be found with the papers for Schools Forum meetings.
Meetings
Calendar of Forum Meetings
The Oxfordshire Schools Forum meets five times a year and recent non-confidential papers for meetings that have taken place can be downloaded below.
19 January 2026
- 1 Schools Forum - Agenda 19/1/2026 (pdf format, 180KB)
- 2 Schools Forum - Minutes 3/12/2025 (pdf format, 200KB)
- 4 DSG 2026-27 (pdf format, 368KB)
- 5 Central School Services Block 2026-27 (pdf format, 200KB)
- 6a De-delegated Union duties 26-27 (pdf format, 258KB)
- 6b Annexe A - Agreed facilities letter June 23 (pdf format, 200KB)
- 8 Block Transfer request (pdf format, 739KB)
- 9a APT Report - Schools Funding Formula 26-27 (pdf format, 268KB)
- 9b APT paper Annexe 3 (pdf format, 300KB)
- 9c APT paper Annexe 4 (pdf format, 300KB)
- 9d Schools funding formula survey Annexe 5 (pdf format, 60KB)
- 12 Oxfordshire Schools Forum Membership (January 2026) (pdf format, 200KB)
3 December 2025
- School Forum minutes 03 Dec 2025 (pdf format, 267 KB)
- 01 School forum agenda (pdf format, 174 KB)
- 02 School forum minutes 11 November 25 (pdf format, 259 KB)
- 03 School improvement de-delegation 2026-27 (docx format, 53 KB)
- 04 Maintain schools in deficit budget - process update (pdf format, 188 KB)
- 05 Maintained schools excess balances – process update (pdf format, 463 KB)
- 09 Oxfordshire schools forum membership - November 2025 (docx format, 35 KB)
11 November 2025
- School forum minutes 11 November 25 (pdf format, 259 KB)
- 01 School Forum Agenda (pdf format, 174 KB)
- 02 School Forum minutes 24 June 25 (docx format, 78 KB)
- 03 School Forum revised membership 031224 (docx format, 45 KB)
- 04 DSG and National Funding update 2026-27 including DfE changes 20 Oct 25 (pptx format, 1 MB)
- 05 General Dispplication requests 2026-27 Exceptional rents (docx format, 40 KB)
- 06 Block transfer proposal - Early intervention (docx format, 248 KB)
- 07 School budget submission 2026-27 (docx format, 38 KB)
- 08 Growth Fund 2025-26 (docx format, 54 KB)
- 09 SEND place planning(docx format, 869 KB)
24 June 2025
- 0. Schools Forum_Agenda_24 June 2025 (.docx format, 36KB)
- 1. Newly elected academy members profiles_June 2025 (.docx format, 21KB)
- 3. Schools Forum Budget Outturn (.docx format, 40KB)
- 4. DSG High Needs Budget 2025-26 update to table 2 (.pdf format, 586KB)
- 4. Maintained Schools Balances as at 31st March 2025 (.docx format, 87KB)
- 5. High Needs and Deficit Management Plan update (pptx format, 850KB)
- 6. Resource Base funding Forum Report June 2025 (docx format, 40KB)
- 7. Schools Forum Paper - SEND Banding Framework June 2025 (docx format, 114KB)
- 8. Secondary Schools 2025-26 Overview (.docx format, 50KB)
- 11. OSSP Accounts - October 2024 (.pdf format, 100KB)
- Actions arising from meeting 12 February 2025 (.docx format, 20KB)
- Schools Forum Minutes 12February 2025 (.pdf format, 220KB)
Previous meetings
If you would like copies of papers from earlier meetings contact the Schools' Forum.