Issue - meetings

Report ED13103

The Sub-Committee considered a report setting out proposed changes to the 2014/15 funding formula for schools in line with Department for Education requirements.

The Department for Education had recently issued further guidance to assist local authorities and Schools’ Forums in planning the local implementation of the reformed funding system for 2014/15.  Changes included a reduction in the upper limit of the lump sum to £175,000, the potential use of a different lump sum for primary and secondary schools, and the attainment measure for secondary schools changing to target pupils achieving Level 3 or below in either English or Maths rather than in both.

Following consideration at its meeting on 26^th September 2013, the Schools’ Forum had agreed to request the Local Authority to agree that the lump sum for Bromley schools would be set at £175,000 for 2014/15 for both primary and secondary schools.  It was also agreed to request that the measure of attainment for secondary pupils be set at £907 for 2014/15, a level proposed and supported by the Secondary Head Teachers, to reflect the significant increase in the number of pupils who would be eligible for this funding.  The Minimum Funding Guarantee would moderate the impact of this on schools’ budgets to a maximum of 1.5% per year budget change in any one year. 

In response to a question from the Chairman, the Head of Schools Finance Support confirmed that the attainment measure for secondary schools would be paid on a per pupil basis for those achieving Level 3 or below in either English or Maths, and that pupils achieving Level 3 or below in both subjects would receive the same funding as those achieving Level 3 or below in either subject.

Councillor Julian Grainger noted the impact of the Minimum Funding Guarantee in moderating the difference in funding levels for secondary schools under each of the proposed models, but highlighted the need to test against a range of lump sums in future years where appropriate.  The Head of Schools Finance Support advised Members of the Sub-Committee that further guidance was awaited from the Department for Education around how the funding formula for schools would be delivered in future years.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder for Education be recommended to agree the proposed changes in line with the recommendations of the Schools’ Forum.

Report ED13100

Members of the Forum considered a report providing an update on the proposed changes to the Local Authority Funding Formula based on the outcome of consultation undertaken with schools.

The Department for Education had recently issued further guidance to assist local authorities and Schools’ Forums in planning the local implementation of the reformed funding system for 2014/15.  Changes included a reduction in the upper limit of the lump sum to £175,000, the potential use of a different lump sum for primary and secondary schools, and the attainment measure for secondary schools changing to target pupils achieving Level 3 or below in either English or Maths rather than in both.

The way that these changes to the funding system would impact Bromley had been considered by the Schools’ Forum at its meeting on 18^th July 2013.  It had been agreed that the lump sum provided to secondary and primary schools would be adjusted to £175,000, but that there would be no other changes for primary schools.  For secondary schools the changes would be more significant as the number of pupils eligible for funding under the new attainment measure had increased from 1249 to 3441 pupils.  As a result of this, and following consultation with the Schools’ Forum Working Group, it had been proposed that the per pupil sum for attainment be adjusted to reflect the increased demand with the allocation of £2,500 for pupils not attaining in English and Maths in 2013/14 reduced to £1,250 in 2014/15 for any pupil not attaining in English or Maths.  It had been thought that pupils who were not attaining in both subjects would receive £2,500, which was equivalent to the 2013/14 funding allocation, however recent guidance from the Department for Education advised that the same amount of funding would be allocated to each pupil, whether they were achieving Level 3 or below in English, Maths or in both.  Additional funding in excess of £1m would be required to support the proposal to allocate £1,250 as the per pupil attainment measure, and the Schools’ Forum Working Group had considered whether this funding could be taken from the Age Weighted Pupil Unit or from the lump sum.

In considering how to fund the change to the attainment measure for secondary schools, seven consultation responses had been received from schools in the Borough.  One response from a primary school supported funding the change through the Age Weighted Pupil Unit and noted that primary schools could not afford a further reduction in budgets.  A late response to the consultation had also supported this option.  Two responses from secondary schools supported the use of a zero lump sum.  The remaining four responses highlighted that Bromley Head Teachers did not support either of the proposed funding mechanisms and requested that the Schools’ Forum consider the issue in more detail.  Mrs Karen Raven had subsequently circulated an alternative solution to secondary schools which proposed that the secondary lump sum be retained by schools and that the existing £250,000  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7