Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

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There were none

Any county councillor may, by giving notice to the Proper Officer by 9 am three working days before the meeting, ask a question on an item on the agenda.

The number of questions which may be asked by any councillor at any one meeting is limited to two (or one question with notice and a supplementary question at the meeting) and the time for questions will be limited to 30 minutes in total. As with questions at Council, any questions which remain unanswered at the end of this item will receive a written response.

Questions submitted prior to the agenda being despatched are shown below and will be the subject of a response from the appropriate Cabinet Member or such other councillor or officer as is determined by the Cabinet Member, and shall not be the subject of further debate at this meeting. Questions received after the despatch of the agenda, but before the deadline, will be shown on the Schedule of Addenda circulated at the meeting, together with any written response which is available at that time.

There were none received

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There were no requests

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2026 to be signed by the Chair as a correct record.

The Cabinet Member approved the minutes of the meeting held on 03 February 2026, as an accurate record of proceedings.

Cabinet Member: Children & Young People

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/271

Contact: Clare Hanchet, Manager – SEND Strategic Early Intervention Team (Clare.Hanchet@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

Report by Director of Children’s Services (CMDCEYP5).

Returning with the Enhanced Pathways Business Case seeking approval to expand the project for academic year 26/27 with funding for another 20 pathways, extending the project to 60 countywide.

The Cabinet Member is RECOMMENDED to: 

a)    Approve the Council to fund a further 20 Enhanced Pathways to triple the reach of the project to enable the Council to offer a more equitable offer across the county to meet the increasing numbers and complexities of children and young people with Special Educational Needs in mainstream schools and to realise probable savings through this spend to save model.  

b)    Approve the Council’s budgetary commitment for a period of 3 years for each Enhanced Pathway (barring significant changes to central government funding of SEND during that period).  

c)    Commit to consider and review opportunities to upscale the Enhanced Pathways programme over the coming years in line with the impact evidence provided.  

The Cabinet Member considered the report which indicated that the latest Area SEND monitoring inspection from Ofsted and the CQC highlighted that as a result of Enhanced Pathways, many children’s and young people’s needs were being more effectively met in mainstream settings. The business case was also seeking to once again expand the project further to ensure more children and young people could have their needs met successfully. The Cabinet Member highlighted that the Enhanced Pathways started with only 9, then grew to 40. It was further said that the plan was to grow it to 60.

Furthermore, in the academic year 2024 - 25 £1,194,718 had been spent on 20 Enhanced Pathways. This benefitted 292 children and young people, which could be compared to the same value potentially benefiting only 17 children placed at Independent Non-maintained Special School (INMSS) at an average cost of £70,000 or 96 pupils accessing alternative education provision packages at an average cost of £12,354.55.

Resolved to:

a)    Approve the Council to fund a further 20 Enhanced Pathways to triple the reach of the project to enable the Council to offer a more equitable offer across the county to meet the increasing numbers and complexities of children and young people with Special Educational Needs in mainstream schools and to realise probable savings through this spend to save model.

b)    Approve the Council’s budgetary commitment for a period of 3 years for each Enhanced Pathway (barring significant changes to central government funding of SEND during that period).

c)    Commit to consider and review opportunities to upscale the Enhanced Pathways programme over the coming years in line with the impact evidence provided.

Cabinet Member: Children & Young People

Forward Plan Ref: 2026/015

Contact: Jane Billington, Strategic Finance Business Partner (Jane.Billington@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

Report by Director of Children’s Services (CMDCEYP6). 

The Cabinet Member is RECOMMENDED to

a)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers (after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding formula for 3- and 4-year-old provision with an underlying hourly rate of £6.04 (excluding the supplements, SEN Inclusion Fund and Contingency).

b)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers (after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding formula for 2-year-old working parent provision at an hourly rate of £8.29.

c)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers (after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding formula for 2-year-olds of families receiving additional support at an hourly rate of £8.29.

d)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers (after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding formula for 9 Months to 2-year-old provision at an hourly rate of £11.33.

The Cabinet Member considered the report which indicated that Early Years Providers and Schools Forum were consulted on the Early Years

Funding Formula, and the overwhelming response was to pass on the increase in hourly rate in full to providers.

Resolved to:

a)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers

(after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding formula for 3- and 4-year-old provision with an underlying hourly rate of £6.04 (excluding the supplements, SEN Inclusion Fund and Contingency).

b)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers

(after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding Formula for 2-year-old working parent provision at an hourly rate of £8.29.

c)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers

(after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding formula for 2-year-olds of families receiving additional support at an hourly rate of £8.29.

d)    Pass the funding increase received by Oxfordshire onto providers (after allowing for centrally retained funding per Department of Education (DfE) criteria) and approve the 2026-27 Early Years funding formula for 9 Months to 2-year-old provision at an hourly rate of £11.33.

Cabinet Member: Children & Young People

Forward Plan Ref: 2025/275

Contact: Carly Williams, Service Manager (Carly.Williams@oxfordshire.gov.uk)

Report by Director of Children’s Services (CMDCEYP7). 

Report to follow.

The Cabinet Member considered a report that outlined the proposed school admissions arrangements for Oxfordshire for the 2027–28 academic year following public consultation. North Kidlington Primary School and  Ducklington Church of England Primary School had requested a reduction to its Published Admission Number (PAN) for 2027/28.

Resolved to:

a)             Approve Scheme of Co-ordination for Normal Points of Transfer

b)             Approve Admission Arrangements and Oversubscription Criteria

for Community and Voluntary Controlled Schools

c)             Approve Published Admission Numbers (PANs)

d)       Approve In-Year Admissions Scheme