Lynne Neagle MS, Cabinet Secretary for Education
Today, I am pleased to publish the summary of responses to the consultation on the School Funding, Budget Statements and Outturn Statements (Wales) Regulations 2026. I am very grateful to all the individuals and organisations who took the time to respond to the consultation.
The consultation gathered views which will inform the new Regulations, which will revoke and remake with amendments the School Funding (Wales) Regulations 2010, the Education Budget Statements (Wales) Regulations 2002, and the Education (Outturn Statements) (Wales) Regulations 2003 into one set of Regulations.
There was broad support for the proposed amendments which aim to provide greater flexibility to allow local authorities to better support schools to manage their school budgets and to increase transparency, comparability and consistency in the school funding system in Wales. This will allow informed budget discussions at all levels.
Our proposals, therefore, will proceed largely unchanged. Further details on the specific proposals are provided in the summary of responses.
I intend to lay the School Funding, Budget Statement and Outturn Statement (Wales) Regulations 2026 in March 2026. However, to ensure local authorities sufficient time to consult on, and implement any changes to their processes or policies as a result of the amended Regulations, it is intended that they will come into force on 1 April 2027. Therefore, local authorities will be required to be compliant with the amended Regulations for the 2027-28 financial year.