Issue - meetings

Report ED12046

Members of the Forum considered a report outlining details of the Department for Education consultation on proposals to introduce a new mechanism to distribute Local Authority Central Spend Equivalent Grant (LACSEG) from the current top slice of individual local authorities to a single national formula grant.  The consultation would end on 24^th September 2012 and the Local Authority had provided a draft response to the proposal, which members of the Forum were invited to comment on prior to submission.

The Head of ECS Finance confirmed that it was proposed to top slice £168 per pupil from local authorities and for this funding to be provided directly to academy schools.  The Local Authority currently spent £86 per pupil which meant that the new mechanism would leave Bromley with a significant shortfall of funding, impacting the Local Authority’s ability to deliver a range of other education services. 

The Portfolio Holder for Education confirmed that the Local Authority had met with representatives of the Department for Education and the Treasury to discuss the impact of this new mechanism on the Local Authority and potential ways to mitigate the impact of any change of funding mechanism, such as the introduction of a minimum funding guarantee.  A further meeting would be held with David Laws, Minister of State for Schools at the end of October 2012. 

In considering the draft Local Authority response to the consultation, the Vice-Chairman proposed that the Schools’ Forum draft a statement supporting the concerns of the Local Authority around the operation of the new funding mechanism to be submitted alongside the Local Authority response and this was generally agreed.

RESOLVED that the Chairman draft a statement on behalf of the Schools’ Forum supporting the concerns of the Local Authority around the operation of the new funding mechanism to be submitted alongside the Local Authority response