Issue - meetings

Report ED13050

The Portfolio Holder introduced a report detailing the allocation for the 2013/14 Dedicated Schools’ Grant, which had been notified to the Local Authority as a total sum of £228,331,776.  This would be allocated in three blocks comprising the Schools Block (£167,903,853), the Early Years Block (£14,560,243) and High Needs Block (£45,867,680).

A Member noted the reduction in pupil rolls of up to 7% in some secondary schools across the Borough for 2013/14.  The Head of Education and Care Services Finance confirmed that there had been a downward trend in the number of pupils seeking places in the Borough which was at its lowest in 2013/14, but that that demand for pupil places at secondary level would consistently increase each year from 2014/15.

A Co-opted Member was concerned that there had been a ‘top slice’ of Dedicated Schools Grant funding across all three blocks, including Early Years, to provide hospital-based education provision which did not benefit Early Years pupils.  The Head of Education and Care Services Finance confirmed that this top-slice was applied nationally by the Department for Education to support hospital-based education provision in leading regional centres of children’s medicine, such as Great Ormond Street Hospital, without the need for host boroughs to recharge other Council’s for education provision.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to approve the Dedicated Schools’ Grant allocation for 2013/14.