Issue - meetings

Report ED15108

At the Forum’s previous meeting a sub-group had been established to consider bulge class/expansion funding for schools. The report summarised the conclusions of the sub-group, which had agreed a definition of a bulge class as a one-off additional form of entry agreed with the local authority to overcome pressure for places beyond the normal planning process, and expansion as a school taking an additional form of entry on a year by year basis until they reach full capacity. The sub-group had considered that, although this was beyond the scope of Schools Forum, it would be helpful to establish a protocol for how bulge classes were funded.

The sub-group had concluded that there was a real cost to schools for bulge classes/expansions, as these pupils were not incorporated within the funding formula until the April following admission for maintained schools, or the following September for academies. It was considered that the principle that all pupils should attract the same level of funding should be maintained. Under the current formula schools were funded for 30 additional pupils, but two options had been developed based around funding for fewer than ten pupils, eleven to twenty pupils, or twenty one to thirty pupils. 

The real pressure in the next few years was expected to be felt in the secondary sector, where there were four bulge classes in 2015/16. However, the two free schools due to open in September 2016 were expected to result in a temporary over-supply of places. Karen Raven and Aydin Önaç registered the concern of secondary head teachers that an additional class had been allowed at Coopers when three nearby schools were under-subscribed, and requested that the planning data behind this decision be made available. 

Officers were asked to attend the next Primary Head Teacher’s Forum the following Thursday to explain the issues. It was proposed that an enlarged sub-group would meet to try to finalise the work, and more modelling would be carried out on the options. 

RESOLVED that the work so far of the sub-group be noted, and further work be carried out to enable a final report to be brought to the Forum’s next meeting prior to consultation.