Norfolk County Council has accepted £6.016 million from the Department for Education through the Inclusive Mainstream Fund, aimed at helping mainstream schools support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) more effectively.

The funding was formally approved at the cabinet meeting on 3 August 2026 as part of the council's period three finance monitoring report for the 2026-27 financial year.

The grant comes as the council is managing around £3.3 million of financial pressures within Children's Services, which are currently being offset through internal management actions and savings elsewhere in the budget.

The Inclusive Mainstream Fund is a national government programme designed to reduce pressure on specialist SEND provision by improving the capacity of ordinary schools to meet a wider range of children's needs without requiring specialist placements.

The council's overall revenue position remains forecast as balanced for 2026-27, though the cabinet noted that executive directors would be expected to take action to eliminate any overspends that emerge during the year.

The cabinet also confirmed that the council's general reserves are forecast to stand at £30.697 million by 31 March 2027.

In a separate development linked to the capital programme, cabinet recommended that Full Council approve a net addition of £4.138 million in Section 106 developer contributions to Children's Services capital budgets, money paid by property developers as a condition of planning permission.