Schools forum

The Schools Forum is a statutory body whose purpose is to advise on matters relating to the authority's schools budget. It must be consulted on:

• proposed changes to the school funding formula
• proposed contracts for certain supplies and services paid from the schools' budget and invitation to tender for these contracts
• annually on the schools' budget
• other matters concerning the funding of schools.

The Schools Forum also has decision-making powers on proposals from the local authority to move away from the requirements of the school funding regulations in response to local circumstances. It also acts as an advisory body to the Cabinet. The members of the forum are accountable to the groups that they represent – schools, governing bodies and trades unions. Governors can contact their reps about the work of the forum.

Meetings will commence at 8.30am on the following dates, and will be held at The Professional Development Centre (PDC), 229 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6AB.

School forum reports

We are making our school forum reports accessible to everyone in line with the new accessibility regulations. Some documents might not be available while we carry out this important work.

We aim to restore these reports to this page as soon as possible. If you need any reports that are not available on this page please contact runa.basit@towerhamlets.gov.uk.

13 January 2021

• Agenda 13 January 2021
• Central school services block
• School budget allocations
• Early years funding block
• School improvement and social inclusion de-delegated offer
• School forum work plan and finance timeline

14 October 2020

• Agenda 14 October 2020
• School forum membership review
• School forum constitution
• School forum minutes
• School block strategy 2021-22
• School growth fund policy - Dec 2020

15 January 2020

• Agenda 15 January 2020
• School forum minutes
• DSG and school block 2020-21
• DSG and school block (appendix)
• Early Year funding block 2020-21

24 March 2019

• Agenda 24 March 2019
• School forum
• Report for schools
• Administrative arrangement for grants
• SEMH review paper for school forum
• Schools forum timetable - Academic Year 2018–2019

6 March 2019

• Agenda 6 March 2019
• School forum minutes
• Scheme for financing schools
• Falling rolls fund
• Reduction in HNFB funding
• HNF review report

16 January 2019 

• Agenda 16 January 2019
• School forum
• DSG budget 2019-20
• School block strategy de-delegation
• Trade union facility time (appendix 2)
• School block strategy (appendix 3)
• Central school block strategy
• Early years 2019-20
• Mayors FSM programme update
• Appendix

5 December 2018

• Agenda 5 December 2018
• School forum minutes
• School block strategy 2019-20
• Criteria for schools accessing pupil growth contigency
• Central school services block
• De delegation of services (appendix)
• ESG (appendix)
• Early Years centrally retained funding
• High needs block strategy
• School forum LADN

10 October 2018

• Agenda
• School forum minutes
• Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) - 2018-19 Budget Monitoring and 2019-20 overview
• School funding formula 2019-20
• New members induction
• Induction appendix 1
• Induction appendix 2
• Teachers pay awards 2018-19 and 2019-20
• Formula appendix one, two, three

Governors represent the phase of school i.e. nursery, primary, secondary and special, not type of school, i.e. community or voluntary.

You are welcome to contact them with queries about the work of the forum. 

Further information, including the full membership, is available from Runa Basit on 020 7364 4302 or email runa.basit@towerhamlets.gov.uk.