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Guidance

Dedicated schools grant (DSG) management plan

Template and guidance for local authorities for the Department of Education (DfE) DSG management plan.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education
Published:
16 September 2020
Last updated:
8 September 2026
Show all updates

  1. Updated to show local authorities are no longer required to maintain a dedicated schools grant (DSG) management plan.

  2. We have published version 10 of the dedicated schools grant (DSG) management plan template and accompanying guidance for 2025 to 2026 financial year. Key changes are: - we have removed section 251 (s251) data for 2020 to 2021 financial year and pre-populated for 2023 to 2024 financial year. - we have removed SEN2 data for 2021 to align pupil number data with financial data. - we have uploaded the new template on to GOV.UK. Local authorities can now view and download the template directly from here without the need to access Document exchange.

  3. We have updated the 'Dedicated schools grants (DSG) management plan guidance for local authorities' for 2024 to 2025 to include key changes in version 8 of the template. This provides users with information about the amendments we have made to the DSG management plan template for 2024 to 2025.

  4. We have updated the 'Dedicated schools grants (DSG) management plan guidance for local authorities' for 2024 to 2025 to include the following additional section: - section 1.6: Key changes in version 7 of the template. This provides users with information about the amendments we have made to the DSG management plan template for 2024 to 2025.

  5. Dedicated schools grant (DSG) management plan template - we have updated the template, so it now allows local authorities to forecast up to 7 years financial data (it is not compulsory to forecast this far, but we would expect a minimum of 3 years). Dedicated schools grant (DSG) management plan template - we have removed the 2018 to 2019 financial data and the template is now pre-populated for 2021 to 2022 financial year. Dedicated schools grant (DSG) management plan guidance 2023 to 2024 - we have updated the narrative sections on both the 'local authority specific' and 'placements' tabs.

  6. We've added the guidance for 2022 to 2023 on DSG deficit management plans for local authorities.

  7. We have updated the DSG management plan template, which can be found on document exchange and accompanying guidance: Key changes include outturn and future forecasts are now expected to be input on pre-recoupment basis and benchmarking data had been updated. An additional tab called 'Executive Summary' has been added to provide a headline summary of end of year positions, headline savings and pressures. The Financial Summary tab has been updated to reflect the relevant year and 2017 to 2018 has now been removed. Cells have been aligned for consistency. The CYP tab and all placement tabs now show the year on year % increase in each category, separated out by age groups. An additional tab called 'HN Recoupment' has been added to address concerns around comparing pre and post recoupment figures. All placement tabs have been updated to reflect the relevant year, and 2017 to 2018 has now been removed.

  8. We have updated the DSG management plan spreadsheet and accompanying guidance: Correction of formula on the ‘Post 16 and FE’ tab. This specifically affects cells in row 12 and figures on the ‘Financial tab’ to reconcile. Formulas in Column L of the ‘Financial’ tab have been added (rows 94, 95, 99, 100, 104, 105, 109, 110, 114, 115, 119 and 120) In the “Other spend” section of the ‘Financial’ tab, formulas in Columns C and D have been updated to show net figures rather than gross figures, as a result of user feedback (rows 58, 63, 64, 65, 71, 72, 73 and 74) The summary box on the ‘Financial’ tab has been extended to include future financial years, and formulas replaced. Five rows have been added in the expenditure section of the ‘Other’ tab to enable local authorities to record other high needs expenditure contained elsewhere within their s251, and enable all high needs expenditure to be reconciled to funding.

  9. Correction of the auto populated data pulling through on the ‘Hospital schools or AP’ tab in the DSG Management Plan Template. This specifically affects cells C14, C15 and D14, D15 and figures on the ‘Financial tab’ to reconcile. Also, correction of formula on the ‘Post 16’ tab in the DSG Management Plan Template. This specifically affects cells C12 and D12 and figures on the ‘Financial tab’ to reconcile.

  10. First published.

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View more information on local special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform plans in ‘Section 33: SEND reforms’ of the schools operational guide 2026 to 2027.

Applies to England

Documents

Dedicated schools grant (DSG) management plan template: version 10

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 1.98 MB

DSG management plan: guidance for local authorities

HTML

Details

Local authorities are no longer required to maintain a dedicated schools grant (DSG) management plan. Instead, all local authorities must develop, maintain, and implement an iterative local SEND reform plan in partnership with local area partners.

Plans should set out how local area partnerships will strengthen local arrangements through improved inclusion, early intervention and the conditions needed to support effective long-term outcomes.

As part of implementation and monitoring, local authorities will be required to submit quarterly data returns to DfE and, where requested, submit further iterations of their plans.

Local SEND reform plans are issued as an annual commission - the next commission will be in spring 2027.

You can read more information about the local SEND reform plan in ‘Section 33: SEND reforms’ of the schools operational guide 2026 to 2027.

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