Issue - meetings

Purpose of report

The main purpose of the report is to inform the Cabinet Member of the progress being made towards the implementation of changes to the school revenue funding arrangements for 2018 to 2019 and to seek the necessary approvals at this stage.

RECOMMENDED that the Cabinet Member:

a)    Approves the proposed changes to the mainstream funding formula factors, as informed by consultation with schools as set out in section 6, specifically:

·                    To adopt the revised growth fund criteria as set out in Appendix 2 of the phase 1 consultation document.

·                    To remove the Looked After Children (LAC) funding factor

·                    To retain the Reception Uplift factor

To calculate initial funding allocations for 2018 to 2019 based on the proposed unit values shown in the table at paragraph 6.16.

·                    To limit the proposed factors whose financial value could be adjusted to maintain overall affordability following the receipt of the October 2017 census data in December 2017 to:

o   Basic Per Pupil Entitlement

o   Prior Attainment

o   Lump Sum

o   Percentage of the financial cap

o   Primary Free School Meal factor

b)   Note that the authority is not proposing to make any changes to High Needs place numbers for Special Schools, Resourced Units and Alternative Provision settings for 2018 to 2019.

c)    Note that the authority is not proposing to make any changes to rates payable to Early Years providers for 2018 to 2019.

d)   Note the MFG disapplication requests set out in paragraph 9.1, which have been endorsed by Schools Forum and submitted to the DfE.

(TAKE IN REPORT)

The report was introduced by Alison Egerton, Group Accountant.  She advised that some of the recommendations in the report went to Schools Forum on 21 November for endorsement and some would be going to the Schools Forum meeting next week. 

In response to a question from Councillor Brent, Ms Egerton said that a high percentage of schools who responded had said they were happy with the proposals.  There had been some queries mostly about how the funding formula worked or specific to individual schools, officers had responded to the schools concerned. 

DECISION: The Cabinet Member:

a) Approved the proposed changes to the mainstream funding formula

factors, as informed by consultation with schools as set out in section

6, specifically:

·         To remove the Looked After Children (LAC) funding factor.

·         To retain the Reception Uplift factor.

·         To calculate initial funding allocations for 2018 to 2019 based on the proposed unit values shown in the table at paragraph 6.16.

·         To limit the proposed factors whose financial value could be adjusted to maintain overall affordability following the receipt of the October 2017 census data in December 2017 to:

oBasic Per Pupil Entitlement

oPrior Attainment

oLump Sum

oPercentage of the financial cap

oPrimary Free School Meal factor

b) Noted that the authority is not proposing to make any changes to High Needs place numbers for Special Schools, Resourced Units and Alternative Provision settings for 2018 to 2019.

c) Noted that the authority is not proposing to make any changes to rates payable to Early Years providers for 2018 to 2019.

d) Noted the MFG disapplication requests set out in paragraph 10.2, as endorsed by Schools Forum and submitted to the DfE.