Issue - meetings

Report ED12049

The Sub-Committee considered a report setting out details of the Government’s proposals for School Funding Reform arrangements for 2013/14.

In considering the Government’s proposals for School Funding Reform arrangements for 2013/14, the Chairman queried the delegation of certain budget items which were currently held centrally.  The Head of Schools Finance Support confirmed that this would only impact a limited number of budget lines and that the Department for Education was working to simplify funding arrangements for academies and ensure funding for maintained schools and academies were more closely aligned.

The Chairman also queried whether headroom could be maintained on the Dedicated Schools Grant.  The Head of Schools Finance Support noted that this could not be confirmed until funding for 2013/14 had been announced, but highlighted that the Dedicated Schools Grant would be split into three blocks in future which comprised early years, schools and high needs.  The Chairman also noted changes that had been made to early years funding within the Dedicated Schools Grant which would reduce Local Authority funding from 90% of early years pupils, regardless of the numbers accessing free entitlement, to 85% or actual take up, whichever was highest.  The Head of School Funding Support confirmed that the take up of early years places had increased and that this change would have no impact on the level of funding received.

The Portfolio Holder noted that at the last meeting of the Schools’ Forum held on 20^th September 2012, Members of the Forum had agreed a range of proposed financial modelling options for the new funding formula for 2013/14 to be released to schools for consultation.  A briefing session on the funding formula would be provided for Head Teachers, Governors and Bursars on Thursday 27^th September 2012 at the Education Development Centre as part of the consultation.

RESOLVED that:

1)  The Government’s proposals for School Funding Reform arrangements for 2013/14 be noted; and,

2)  The Local Authority’s progress to date in implementing these changes be noted.