Agenda item

The changes to the Schools Funding Arrangements for 2014-15 were announced in June. A summary is attached at Appendix F.

Full information can be found on the DFE website.

http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/adminandfinance/financialmanagement/schoolsrevenuefunding/a00221523/school-funding-and-high-needs-funding-arrangements-2014-15

The Forum noted the school funding criteria for 2014-2015 and the principal changes as follows:

Current Criteria

·         The structure of the 2013-2014 reform remained in place

·         The simplified local formula was still at the centre of the system

·         There was still a closely limited set of factors that could be used in the school formula distribution

·         The high needs system remained broadly as in 2013-2014

·         The changes being introduced for 2014-2015 were relatively minor

·         The minimum funding guarantee continued at -1.5% per pupil with the same exclusions + sparsity

Principal changes for 2014 -2015

·         One new factor was an allowance for sparsity, aimed at supporting necessary small schools, mainly in rural areas.  Maximum value was £100,000.

·         Lump sum – LAs could now choose to have different lump sums for Primary and Secondary schools

·         The lump sum would be capped at £175,000

·         Where two schools amalgamate the new school would receive 85% of the total of the lump sums of the predecessors for the next full year

·         The Looked After Children factor must now apply to any child who has been in care for at least one day during a specified period

·         The prior attainment factor has changes in its measurement at Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 2.  For EYFS it would be not achieving a good level of development for 2013 cohort; for KS2 it would be not achieving level 4 in English or Maths for all cohorts

·         The mobility factor would now be applied when the number of “mobile” pupils exceeds 10%

·         The basic entitlement for primary pupils (AWPU) must be at least £2,000 and for secondary pupils (KS3 and KS4) at lease £3,000

·         LAs must ensure that at least 80% of delegated funding is distributed by pupil led factors

·         For 2014-2015 there would continue to be no restraints on the primary/secondary ratio

·         LAs may create a fund to cover temporary falling rolls in advance of a population bulge – but only for good or outstanding schools or academies

·         Forum regulations would require one member from an institution providing education to 16 – 19 year olds, other than schools or academies – replacing the 14-19 partnership

·         The recommendation in 2013-2014 that authorities delegate sufficient funding to allow schools to meet up to £6,000 of special needs costs; this is mandatory in 2014-2015

·         Where additional (SEN headroom) funding (not top-up funding) was given to some schools with disproportionate numbers of high needs pupils the criteria needed to be clear

·         High needs places in special units (not the number of pupils in the unit) would be deducted from the pupil roll

·         For post 16 pupils in special schools and academies the place value would  be set at £10,000 in place of the normal post 16 values

Members of the Forum were advised that the DFE modelling tool had just been received and would be utilised to model in the changes throughout the summer. There would be further details on the impact of the funding changes in the September and October meetings.