Lambeth Schools Forum

Learn about what the forum does, when it meets and view meeting papers.

All local authorities must have a schools forum. They are statutory consultative bodies that advise local authorities on annual funding arrangements for schools and other non-school-based education provision.

The Lambeth Schools Forum has a formal advisory function. Its views must be taken into account by the council when it makes decisions on: 

  • school budgets
  • formula funding
  • contractual arrangements
  • provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

The forum also oversees:

The forum meets around 4 times a year.

The schools forum operational and good practice guide and the schools forum powers and responsibilities guide provide local authority officers and elected schools forum members with advice on roles, responsibilities and good practice.

Forum membership

Membership is reviewed every year to make sure it meets the statutory requirements set out by the Department for Education (DfE) in the schools forum operational and good practice guide.

A schools forum must:

  • include 3 groups: schools members, academies members and non-schools members
  • have schools members and academies members making up at least two-thirds of the total membership
  • include at least one headteacher representative and one governor representative among the schools members
  • include at least one representative from each type of school and academy
  • have non-schools members making up no more than one-third of membership

A representative, usually a senior leader or school business manager (SBM), may be nominated to fill a headteacher vacancy.

Non-schools members must include:

  • faith bodies
  • 16 to 19 education providers
  • early years private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers

Forum members

Forum members must include these groups.

Schools members:

  • 8 maintained primary school representatives
  • 3 maintained secondary school representatives
  • 1 maintained special school representative
  • 1 maintained nursery school representative

Academies members:

  • 1 primary academy representative
  • 3 secondary academy representatives
  • 1 special academy representative
  • 1 Alternative Education Provision (AEP) academy representative

Non-schools members:

  • 2 Early Years PVI representatives
  • 2 faith body representatives
  • 1 non-school post-16 representative
  • 1 trade unions and professional associations representative

Schools forum documents:

Forum meetings

Schools forum meetings are open to the public to observe and are usually held online.

For information about attending, contact schfinance@lambeth.gov.uk.

2026 - 2027 

  • Thursday 18 June 2026, 4pm to 6pm

The following dates are provisional:

  • Thursday 15 October 2026, 4pm to 6pm
  • Thursday 10 December 2026, 4pm to 6pm
  • Thursday 14 January 2027, 4pm to 6pm

2025 - 2026

  • Thursday 23 October 2025, 4pm to 6pm
  • Thursday 11 December 2025, 4pm to 6pm
  • Thursday 15 January 2026, 4pm to 6pm
  • Thursday 19 March 2026, 4pm to 6pm

Meeting papers

You can find document packs from recent meetings on the Lambeth School Services website.

These include agendas and minutes for meetings held in the current academic year. 

For older meeting minutes and papers, contact schfinance@lambeth.gov.uk.