Every local authority in Wales has a local schools budget forum, known as a schools forum. The forums are made up of school members (such as headteachers and governors) and non-school members (such as local authority officers, trade union members and members of diocesan authorities).
What do schools budget forums do?
The schools forum is key to developing understanding and an effective dialogue between the council and its schools on budgetary issues including:
- schools’ funding levels for the coming years
- pressures on future years’ budgets
- changes to local funding formula
- reviewing contracts or service level agreements for services to schools
We consult our schools forum annually on matters relating to their schools budget, and changes to their scheme for financing schools. We can also consult the forum on other matters concerning the funding of schools, such as the financial implications for arrangements for free school meals, arrangements for insurance, arrangements for using pupil referral units and the education of children otherwise than at school.
Meetings
You can find the agendas, minutes and other documents of recent and upcoming schools budget forum meetings here.