Dedicated Schools Grant consultation: Mainstream schools document 2025
Dedicated Schools Grant overview
The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) is a ring-fenced grant provided by the government for the financing of schools' budgets, the provision of high needs and early years services, and the central provision of local authority (LA) responsibilities for all schools, with funding distributed to the LA via national formulae (such as the schools National Funding Formula (NFF) or the Early Years National Funding Formula (EYNFF)) set utilising various factors including pupil numbers and characteristics.
The DSG is constituted of four blocks that combine to form the overall ring-fenced grant: Schools Block, High Needs Block, Central School Services Block and the Early Years Block, together totalling £941.662m[1] in the 2025-26 financial year:
| Block | £(m) |
|---|---|
| Schools Block | 678.713 |
| High Needs Block | 153.441 |
| Central School Services Block | 5.011 |
| Early Years Block | 104.497 |
| Current 2025-26 DSG Allocation | 941.662 |
The current financial year, 2025-26, is the first following the previous 3-year funding settlement. There is not yet a formal announcement regarding funding levels for 2026-27. We await further detail, expected in the autumn.
