Guidance

Local authorities planning calendar for the 2025 to 2026 financial year

Updated 17 June 2025

Applies to England

漏 Crown copyright 2025

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1. 听April 2025听

1.1 听Local authority action:听

1.2 听笔补测尘别苍迟:听

  • The Department for Education (DfE) makes the first payment of the听dedicated schools grant (DSG) for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (3 April)听
  • DfE makes the second PE and sport premium payment for the 2024 to 2025 academic year (30 April)听
  • DfE makes the first fixed payment of the breakfast clubs grant to local authorities for early adopters, for academic year 2024 to 2025

1.3 听滨苍蹿辞谤尘补迟颈辞苍:听

2. 听May 2025听

2.1 听Local authority action:听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听

2.2 听笔补测尘别苍迟:听

2.3 听Information:

3. 听June 2025听

3.1 听Local authority action:听

3.2 听笔补测尘别苍迟:听

3.3 听滨苍蹿辞谤尘补迟颈辞苍:听

4. 听July 2025听

4.1 听Local authority action:听

4.2 听笔补测尘别苍迟:听

  • DfE makes fourth payment of the听DSG听for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (3 July)听
  • DfE makes payment for the early years expansion grant for the 2025 to 2026 financial year

4.3 听滨苍蹿辞谤尘补迟颈辞苍:听

5. 听August 2025听

5.1 听Local authority action:听

  • 蝉耻产尘颈迟听s251听outturn statements for the 2024 to 2025听financial year听

5.2 听笔补测尘别苍迟:听

  • DfE makes fifth payment of the DSG for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (5 August)听

5.3 听滨苍蹿辞谤尘补迟颈辞苍:听

6. 听September 2025听听听听听

6.1 听Local authority action:听

  • 蝉耻产尘颈迟听NNDR听adjustment claims for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (by 11 September) for October 2025 payment听

6.2 听笔补测尘别苍迟:听

  • DfE makes sixth payment of the听DSG听for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (3 September)听
  • DfE makes second quarterly pupil premium payment for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (30 September)听
  • DfE makes payment for the听NICs听grant to local authorities for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE makes payment for the post-16 NICs grant to local authorities for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE makes payment for the EY NTPG to local authorities for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE makes second payment of the CSBG听grant for special and听AP schools, covering the听NICs听element of this grant for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE makes first payment of initial teacher training (ITT) mentoring 听to settings for the 2024 to 2025 academic year听(30 September)

6.3 听滨苍蹿辞谤尘补迟颈辞苍:听

  • DfE issues second quarterly updated pupil premium allocations for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE issues听s251 raw budget data for the 2025 to 2026 financial year

7. 听October 2025听

7.1 听Local authority action:听

  • complete autumn鈥�school census听
  • 2026 to 2027 high needs place change process begins - discussions of place requirements with providers

7.2 听笔补测尘别苍迟:听

  • DfE makes seventh payment of the听DSG听for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (3 October)听
  • DfE makes听NNDR听payments for positive in-year adjustments for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (31 October)听
  • DfE makes payment of the听NICs听grant for 2025 to 2026 to mainstream academies
  • DfE makes payment of the SBSG for 2025 to 2026 to local authorities for maintained mainstream schools, mainstream schools with SURPs, and local authority centrally employed staff (CES)
  • DfE makes second payment for 16 to 19 teachers鈥� pension scheme employer contribution grant (TPSECG) for maintained schools and academies with 16 to 19 provision for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE makes third payment for 2025 to 2026 of the CSBG for special and AP schools covering the SBSG element of this grant

7.3 听滨苍蹿辞谤尘补迟颈辞苍:听

8. 听November 2025

8.1 听Local authority action:听

  • complete the 2025 autumn term early years data collection
  • submit 2026 to 2027 high needs place change workbook to DfE
  • 蝉耻产尘颈迟听DSG听chief finance officer assurance statement and note to the accounts for the 2024 to 2025 financial year听听

8.2 听笔补测尘别苍迟:听

8.3 听滨苍蹿辞谤尘补迟颈辞苍:听

  • DfE issues updated鈥�DSG听补濒濒辞肠补迟颈辞苍蝉 for in year recoupment and high needs deductions听for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE issues updated final DSG allocation for early years for the working parents鈥� entitlements for 2-year-olds and under, and early years pupil premium for 2-year-olds and under (to reflect 2025 summer term headcount) for the 2025 to 2026 financial year听
  • DfE issues breakfast club updated allocations to local authorities for early adopters, for the 2024 to 2025 academic year

9. 听December 2025听

9.1 听Local authority action:听

9.2 听笔补测尘别苍迟:听

  • DfE makes ninth payment of the听DSG听for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (3 December)听
  • DfE pays third quarterly pupil premium payment for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (31 December)听

9.3 听滨苍蹿辞谤尘补迟颈辞苍:听

10. 听January 2026

10.1 Local authority action:

10.2 听Payment:

  • DfE makes 10th payment of the听DSG for the 2025 to 2026 financial year听(5 January)

10.3 听Information:

  • DfE听issues听high needs place change outcomes for 2026 to 2027听and 2-week enquiry window opens
  • DfE issues update to听the DSG听for the 2025 to 2026 financial year听for in-year recoupment听

11. 听February 2026

11.1 听Local authority action:

  • final deadline for submitting听NNDR听adjustment claims for the 2025 to 2026 financial year, for claims made after 11 September 2025 (2 February)
  • local authorities obtain political ratification of their pre-16 funding formulae as outlined in their听APT
  • local authorities issue听DSG听补濒濒辞肠补迟颈辞苍蝉 to maintained schools after sign-off from听DfE听and by 28 February 2026

11.2 听Payment:

  • DfE听makes 11th payment of the听DSG听for the 2025 to 2026 financial year听(4 February)
  • DfE makes payment of the Care to Learn grant to local authorities for the 2025 to 2026 academic year
  • DfE makes initial payment of the Vulnerable Bursary to local authorities for the 2025 to 2026 academic year

11.3 听Information:

  • DfE听issues听s251听budget guidance on completing the budget template for the 2026 to 2027听financial year听
  • DfE issues updated allocations of the听NICs听grant, covering the finalised allocations for new and growing mainstream schools for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE issues updated allocations of the SBSG covering the finalised allocations for new and growing mainstream schools for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE issues updated PE and sport premium allocations for newly eligible schools for the 2025 to 2026 financial year

12. 听March 2026听

12.1 听Local authority action:

  • s251听budget returns collection for 2026 to 2027 opens

12.2 听Payment:

  • DfE听makes 12th payment of the听DSG听for the 2025 to 2026 financial year听(4 March)
  • DfE听makes 13th payment (adjustments) of the听DSG听for the 2025 to 2026 financial year听(23 March)
  • DfE听pays fourth quarterly听pupil premium听payment for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (31 March)
  • DfE听makes听NNDR听adjustment payment for the 2025 to 2026 financial year, for claims made after 11 September 2024 (31 March)
  • DfE makes adjustment payment for听CSBG听for special and听AP schools grant to local authorities covering the SBSG element of this grant for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE makes second payment for听NICs听grant for mainstream schools with SURPs and new and growing mainstream schools for the 2025 to 2026 financial year
  • DfE听makes safety valve payments (31 March)听
  • DfE听makes adjusted payments for risk protection for the 2025 to 2026 financial year (24 March)

12.3 听Information:

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