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Guidance

Local authorities planning calendar for the 2026 to 2027 financial year

Published 27 May 2026

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-authorities-planning-calendar-2026-to-2027/local-authorities-planning-calendar-for-the-2026-to-2027-financial-year

April 2026 

Action 

Local authorities submit:

Payment 

The Department for Education (DfE) makes the:

Information

DfE issues:

May 2026

Action 

Local authorities:     

Payment

DfE makes the:

Information

DfE:

June 2026 

Action 

Local authorities:

  • review high needs for the 2026 to 2027 financial year import and export data
  • submit new or amended split-site cases to DfE to be funded through the 2027 to 2028 national funding formula (NFF) (by Friday 19 June 2026)

Payment

DfE makes the:

Information 

DfE issues the:

  • high needs import and export data for the 2026 to 2027 financial year
  • s251 outturn guidance on completing the outturn template for the 2025 to 2026 financial year

July 2026 

Action

Local authorities submit:

  • the consistent financial reporting (CFR) 2025 to 2026 data return (by Friday 17 July 2026)   
  • the s251 outturn statements for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (by Friday 31 July 2026)
  • queries relating to high needs import and export adjustment data for the 2026 to 2027 financial year

Payment 

DfE makes the:

Information 

August 2026 

Action 

Nil

Payment

DfE makes:

Information

Nil

September 2026     

Action

Local authorities:

  • submit NNDR adjustment claims for the 2026 to 2027 financial year (by Friday 11 September for Friday 30 October 2026 payment)

Payment

DfE makes the:

  • sixth payment of the DSG for the 2026 to 2027 financial year (Thursday 3 September 2026) 
  • second quarterly pupil premium payment for the 2026 to 2027 financial year (Wednesday 30 September 2026) 
  • first payment of initial teacher training (ITT) mentoring to settings for the 2025 to 2026 academic year (Wednesday 30 September 2026)
  • payment of the post-16 NICs grant to local authorities for the 2026 to 2027 financial year (Wednesday 30 September 2026)
  • Care to Learn grant payment for any late claims and reconciliation adjustments following mandatory returns for the 2025 to 2026 academic year (Wednesday 30 September 2026)
  • Vulnerable Bursary payment for any late claims and upward adjustments for the 2025 to 2026 academic year (Wednesday 30 September 2026)

Information

DfE issues:

  • the second quarterly updated pupil premium allocations for the 2026 to 2027 financial year
  • s251 raw budget data for the 2026 to 2027 financial year

October 2026 

Action 

Local authorities:

  • complete the autumn school census
  • begin the 2027 to 2028 academic year high needs place-change process via discussions of place requirements with providers

Payment

DfE makes the:

Information

DfE issues the:

  • 16 to 19 TPSECG updated allocations for the 2026 to 2027 financial year
  • breakfast clubs updated allocations (summer-term arrears payment) to local authorities for early adopters for the 2025 to 2026 academic year 

November 2026

Action

Local authorities submit the:

  • 2027 to 2028 academic year high needs place-change workbook to DfE
  • DSG chief finance officer assurance statement and note to the accounts for the 2025 to 2026 financial year  

Payment

DfE makes the:

Information 

DfE issues the updated:

  • DSG  allocations for in-year recoupment and high needs deductions for the 2026 to 2027 financial year
  • final DSG allocation for early years for the working parents’ entitlements for 2-year-olds and under, and early years pupil premium for 2-year-olds and under (to reflect 2026 summer-term headcount) for the 2026 to 2027 financial year
  • high needs place dataset for the 2026 to 2027 academic year

DfE issues the:

  • final high needs place dataset for the 2025 to 2026 academic year

December 2026 

Action

Nil

Payment

Information

DfE:

  • announces the schools revenue funding settlement, including details of the DSG and other grant funding for the 2027 to 2028 financial year

  • issues the:

January 2027

Action 

Local authorities:

Payment

DfE makes:

Information

DfE issues the:

DfE updates the:

  • publication of school funding data for England, including trends in funding over time since 2010 to 2011, and funding allocations of individual primary and secondary schools

February 2027

Action 

Local authorities:

  • submit NNDR adjustment claims for the 2026 to 2027 financial year for claims made after 11 September 2026 (by Tuesday 2 February 2027)
  • obtain political ratification of pre-16 funding formulae, as outlined in the APT
  • issue DSG allocations to maintained schools after sign-off from DfE (by Friday 26 February 2027)

Payment

DfE makes the:

  • 11th payment of the DSG for the 2026 to 2027 financial year (Wednesday 3 February 2027)
  • payment of the Care to Learn grant to local authorities for the 2026 to 2027 academic year (Friday 26 February 2027)
  • initial payment of the Vulnerable Bursary to local authorities for the 2026 to 2027 academic year (Friday 26 February 2027)
  • payment of the FSM expansion grant for the 2026 to 2027 financial year (Friday 26 February 2027)

Information

DfE issues: 

  • s251 budget guidance on completing the budget template for the 2027 to 2028 financial year

March 2027 

Action 

Local authorities should note that:

  • the s251 budget returns collection for 2027 to 2028 opens

Payment

DfE makes the:

Information

DfE issues the: 

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