Agenda item

2018/19 Funding Allocations to Mainstream Schools from Budgets Centrally Managed by the Local Authority And Other Matters

To present information on the in-year allocation of funds to mainstream schools through School Specific Contingencies and other budgets that are funded from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and in the first instance centrally managed by the council.  It also presents the opportunity to amend existing funding policies. These funds relate only to mainstream schools.

Minutes:

The Forum considered a report which presented information on the in-year allocation of funds to mainstream schools through School Specific Contingencies and other budgets that were funded from the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and in the first instance centrally managed by the council. It also presented the opportunity to amend existing funding policies. The report also updated the Forum on some mandatory changes of a mainly technical nature required to the Scheme for Financing Schools by the Department for Education (DfE) which governs the financial framework that all maintained schools need to work within, including special schools and Pupil Referral Units.

 

Paragraphs 6.11-6.17 of the report detailed an issue for consideration regarding the Growth Fund. In brief, a change for 2019-20 required consideration to ensure compliance with the DfE operational guidance which set out that the Growth Fund could only be used to “support growth in pre-16 pupil numbers to meet basic need” and may not be used to support “general growth due to popularity; which is managed through lagged funding”. The policy as previously agreed by the Forum applied equally to all pupils and did not separate out basic need pupils. Further advice from the DfE was required before specific amendments could be proposed; therefore, a report would be presented to the Forum in September.

 

Action: Paul Clark

 

During the year an issue emerged relating to 1 FE primary schools with a relatively high proportion of empty spaces as detailed in paragraphs 6.32-6.35 of the report. The smallest schools which were relying on a fixed lump sum found it difficult to make savings when pupil numbers changed. These schools were the most difficult to allocate targeted resources to and they generally had static staffing so it was difficult to change the cost base when pupil numbers fell. The Forum was asked to agree amending the policy as it was not felt to be possible to balance the budget without additional support.

 

The Forum had no comments or questions.

 

RESOLVED

1.   to NOTE the following funding allocations to schools, made in accordance with approved policies:

i.    £0.243m for significant in-year increases in pupils (paragraph 6.9 of the report);

ii.   £0.048m for schools required to meet the Key Stage 1 Class Size regulations (paragraph 6.20 of the report);

iii.  £0.103m for new and expanding schools (paragraph 6.22 of the report);

iv.  £0.036m for schools with a disproportionate number of SEN pupils (paragraph 6.26 of the report);

v.   £0.196m for schools in financial difficulty (paragraph 6.36 of the report); and

vi.  £0.005m from the general schools contingency (paragraph 6.39 of the report);

2.   to AGREE:

i.    that in respect of the policy supporting schools experiencing significant in-year increases in pupil numbers:

a.   the deletion of text relating to Infant and Junior Schools (paragraph 6.10 of the report); and

b.   work should be undertaken to draft new policy text relating to allocations to schools in relation to meeting the DfE basic needs pupil criteria (paragraph 6.17 of the report);

ii.   the expanded policy text relating to allocations to schools in financial difficulty to include one form of entry primary schools with more than 5% empty places (paragraph 6.35 of the report); and

iii.  the existing policy text on funds used to distribute centrally managed funds to schools should continue unchanged on all other funds (Annexes 3, 9 and paragraph 6.25 of the report); and

3.   to NOTE the changes to be made to the Scheme for Financing Schools reflecting a directed revision from the DfE and other minor revisions from the council to text to reflect current terminologies (paragraph 6.45 of the report).

Supporting documents:

 

Contact Information

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Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk