Agenda item

SCHOOLS FUNDING 2020-21

Report and appendices attached.

Minutes:

The report presented to the Forum put forward the Local Authority’s recommendations on the funding of schools and academies in the 2020-21 financial year. This followed consultation with schools on the proposals and later release of the October 2019 data.

 

Schools are protected with a minimum funding guarantee of 0.5% with only 5 schools in the borough needing extra funding to reach this and the cost of protection reducing by £50k to £848k from the October 2018 to the October 2019 data. Schools also have a cap of 4% on increases to their per pupil funding and the number of schools subject to the cap had reduced by 14. Without the cap, an additional £1.07 million would be required which is unaffordable. This amount had reduced by £200,000 from October 2018 data. The Forum noted that 16 more schools, a total of 39 (49%) were now funded according to the national funding formula without the need for protection or capping. The Forum also noted that pupil numbers have increased by 302 between October 2018 and October 2019, generating an extra £1.4 million for the School Funding Block. The formula for calculating the distribution of funds has to be submitted to the EFSA by 21st January 2020.

 

The summary of responses of schools to the Schools Funding 2020/21 consultation showed that most of the schools responding were in favour of the LA proposals although some schools that were subject to the 4% cap, particularly those that were already in financial difficulty, expressed their concern about losing money.  It was noted that these schools would receive a 4% increase per pupil which is a higher increase for many years and may be eligible to receive financial support from other budgets.

 

A summary of responses (without additional comments) is as follows:

 

No. of schools responding:

Primary

Secondary

Total

 

13

  1

14

 

21%

  5%

18%

 

 

YES

NO

Q1. To keep to within the funding available, the maximum increase to schools per pupil is capped at 4%.

Pri.  10

Pri.  2

Sec.  1

 

 

Q.2.(a) That the minimum funding guarantee should be set at 0.5% per pupil;

       or

Pri.  12

Pri.  1

 

Sec.  1

Q.2 (b) If affordable in the final figures, the minimum funding guarantee should be increased to 1.84% to the benefit of 12 schools.

 

Pri.  10

 

Sec.  1

 

Q.3 To use approx. £800k of the additional funding available within the DSG Schools Block to maintain the Pupil Growth and Falling Rolls Fund at the current level.

Pri.  11

Pri.  1

Sec.  1

 

 

Q.4 To use £500k of the additional funding available within the DSG Schools Block to support the current deficit in the High Needs Block given that the additional funding in 2020-21 for High  Needs  will only meet current commitments.

Pri.  12

 

Sec.  1

 

 

The forum:

 

·         Agreed the Local Authority adopt the national funding formula rates for the funding of schools and academies in financial year 2020-21 and also ensures that all schools receive a minimum funding guarantee of 0.5% per pupil with gains capped at 4% per pupil

 

·         Agreed that £800,000 of the DSG Schools Block is used to support the Pupil Growth/Falling Rolls Fund

 

·         Agreed that £500,000 of the DSG Schools Block is transferred to the High Needs Block to meet the growing pressures in funding high needs provision

 

Supporting documents: