Agenda item

Outcomes from the October 2020 Financial Consultation with Schools

To provide an update on the responses from the recent financial consultation from schools which sought views on how funds should be allocated to schools and also whether maintained schools supported on-going de-delegation of budgets and making a financial contribution to statutory education related duties for which the council is responsible for meeting but receives no funding.  The report also provides an update on the 2021-22 budget position for mainstream schools.

Minutes:

An update was presented to the Forum regarding responses from the recent financial consultation.  The consultation had sought views on how funds should be allocated to schools and whether maintained schools would support on-going de-delegation of budgets.  It also asked whether a financial contribution should still be made for statutory education related duties for which the council was responsible for meeting, but received no funding. An update was also given on the 2021-22 budget position for mainstream schools. 

 

It was noted that following the consultation, there was a high amount of support received from maintained schools to agree the Council’s proposals.

 

Following questions, it was noted:

-        How far Bracknell Forest Schools were towards the national funding formula and it was confirmed that the 2020-21 budget was set at 99.8%.

-        The Government had confirmed its commitment to the “hard” formula which would mean the DfE running all school budgets with limited involvement of local authorities.  There were a number of anomalies which would need to be confirmed and nothing further could be confirmed at this time.

-        It was confirmed that should schools funding change to the “hard” formula, that this would not have a major effect on schools’ budgets.

-        The new DfE Funding Regulations could limit the ability of the council to support the schools’ budget with additional funding. It was noted that the change in the regulations would include a much more powerful ringfence which meant the authority could not contribute additional money without the Secretary of State’s permission.  The council currently supplemented schools’ budgets by around £250k a year as part of a medium-term budget strategy which had been agreed by the Schools Forum and informal discussion with the DfE had indicated that gaining approval for continuation of this support was not certain.

-        Forum Members expressed surprise that the government could consider taking a decision that would have the effect of reducing budget allocations to schools and passed the following motion:

 

“The Schools Forum strongly supports the representations that Bracknell Forest Council is making to the DfE to continue this mode of funding which has already provided benefit for the pupils in Bracknell Forest Schools”

 

RESOLVED to NOTE

1.     the outcomes from the financial consultation with schools.

 

2.     That the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Learning had AGREED that: 

 

1.   The factors and their values in the BF Funding Formula should continue to be funded at the same value as the NFF, with each factor to be reduced by the same proportional value if there were insufficient funds. 

2.   All schools should receive the maximum +2% increase in per pupil funding from the 2020-21 financial year, subject to affordability. 

3.    Any cost associated with providing all schools with the agreed minimum percentage increase in per pupil funding from 2020-21 should be met by those schools receiving the largest increases in per pupil funding, typically those above the average percentage increase. 

 

Item for Maintained Primary School representatives only: 

 

RESOLVED to AGREE:

3.     The continued de-delegation of budgets for the services requested by the council. 

 

Item for Maintained Secondary School representatives only: 

 

RESOLVED to AGREE:

4.     that the continued de-delegation of budgets for the services requested by the council. 

 

Item for all Maintained School representatives (including the Special and PRU) only 

 

RESOLVED to AGREE:

5.     that a £20 per pupil contribution continues to be made by maintained schools towards the cost of delivering ‘general’ education related statutory and regulatory duties. 

 

For all Members RESOLVED to NOTE: 

6.     Changes made by the DfE to the DSG ringfence place at risk the option for the council to continue supporting the Schools Budget through use of General Reserves. 

Supporting documents:

 

Contact Information

Democratic services

Email: committee@bracknell-forest.gov.uk