Issue - meetings

Report 15109

The report outlined the process and potential timeframe for a full review of the local authority funding formula following a request from secondary head teachers in relation to the allocation of the additional £19.5m Fairer Funding allocation and concerns about the financial pressure facing schools and the current primary/secondary ratios. The earliest possible date for a change to be implemented was the 2017/18 financial year, but there was risk that this could be overtaken by the introduction of the National Funding Formula. A draft timetable was included with the report, and a summary of the difficult issues that such a review would need to overcome. It was noted that the final word on the second page of the report should be corrected to read “exemption”, not “exclusion.” It was also confirmed that the review would focus on the Schools Block not include the High Needs and Early Needs blocks.

There was general support for a review. The Chairman asked for volunteers for a working group on the issue – this would include David Dilling, Andrew Downes, David Bridger and Karen Raven, and it was suggested that head teachers from outside the Forum could be co-opted. 

RESOLVED that the proposed process for reviewing the funding formula be supported.