Issue - meetings

Report ED15030

The Sub-Committee considered a report providing an overview of unspent Dedicated Schools Grant and outlining proposals for its use.

The Local Authority had carried forward a total of £8.946m of Dedicated Schools Grant to 2014/15 from underspends of £1.697m, £2.984m and £4.265m in the respective financial years 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/14.  A number of proposals had been developed for the use of this unspent Dedicated Schools Grant.  These comprised the distribution to schools as a one-off exceptional payment for which a mechanism would have to be agreed with the Department for Education, the creation of a Growth Fund to support a rate increase for early years providers and an increase in bulge class funding, and the purchase and contribution to the refurbishment of Beacon House. 

Members were advised that the proposals would be presented to the Schools’ Forum for consideration at its meeting on 15th January 2015, and should they be supported, the Secretary of State for Education would then be approached to agree the proposals. 

In considering the proposal to utilise unspent Dedicated School Grant to purchase and contribute to the refurbishment of Beacon House, the Portfolio Holder for Education noted that it was anticipated that Beacon House would offer a wide variety of vocational courses at Key Stage 4 and 5 to both male and female pupils identified as having social, emotional and mental health difficulties, which would enable Bromley pupils to benefit from a high quality in-Borough alternative provision. 

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder for Education be recommended to agree the proposed use of unspent Dedicated Schools Grant, subject to any further comments from the Schools’ Forum on 15^th January 2015.