Issue - meetings

Briefing ED15121

The Sub-Committee considered an information briefing providing an update on the status of the creation of a Dedicated Schools’ Grant Redundancy Reserve following the meeting of the Schools’ Forum on 24^th September 2015.

In considering Item 6: Education Portfolio Outturn Report 2014/15 at the meeting of the Education Budget Sub-Committee on 30^th June 2015, Members had been advised that it was proposed for £300k of Dedicated Schools Grant to be set aside as a Redundancy Reserve to meet some of the costs that might arise as a result of any future reorganisation within Dedicated Schools Grant funded Education Services, with any unspent amount to be returned to the Schools’ budget.  This proposal had been considered at the meeting of Schools’ Forum on 24^th September 2015 where the legal position around the potential use of Dedicated Schools Grant had been clarified and it had been discussed at length.  Whilst some Members of the Schools’ Forum had been in support of the proposal, the final decision was that the proposal not be supported.  Although many funding decisions were made by the Local Authority following consultation with the Schools’ Forum and could be made without the support of Schools’ Forum, in this case the regulations specifically required the approval of Schools’ Forum and the decision could therefore not be taken forward at this time.  This did not preclude the agreement of the charging of redundancy costs to Dedicated Schools Grant by the Schools’ Forum on a case-by-case basis.

In considering the information briefing, the Portfolio Holder for Education underlined the need to work closely with the Schools’ Forum to ensure a joined-up approach on matters relating to schools’ funding into the future. 

In response to a question from the Chairman, the Finance Manager confirmed that the use of the Dedicated Schools’ Grant towards the funding of services such as special educational needs transport was limited, but that the regulations allowed Dedicated Schools Grant to be used to fund certain services, such as the cost of special educational needs transport where the Local Authority had reduced the cost of specialist education placements by building capacity in schools within the Borough.  It was currently projected that there would be a £343k overspend in special educational needs transport for 2015/16, and following the introduction of the new framework agreement and route changes from September 2015, it was intended to report updated projections to the Council’s Executive at its meeting on 2^nd December 2015.

RESOLVED that the information briefing be noted.