Issue - meetings

The Forum considered a report providing an update on changes to Early Years (EY) and the impact on the related funding.  Previously, the Forum had been advised of some changes to the OFSTED registration process for Early Years settings which could potentially affect funding.  In line with DfE regulations, Bromley had a similar but different funding formula for maintained and PVI settings, reflecting different staffing requirements and premises related expenditure.  Historically, when schools with maintained nurseries converted to academies they continued to be viewed as maintained settings as opposed to PVI and were funded accordingly, this being based on advice provided by the DfE at the time of the first such conversions in 2011.  The DfE had recently issued some further guidance which appeared to address the ambiguities in the original guidance, particularly with regard to staffing requirements in maintained school nursery settings.  It would appear that EY settings at academies should be funded as PVI settings.  There were seven primary academies being funded as maintained settings, plus only four nurseries at the remaining maintained schools.

To ensure that no settings were financially disadvantaged by this, the LA was proposing that the EY funding formula should be rationalised, that the maintained funding formula should be rationalised, and that the maintained funding levels, being the lower of the two, should be increased to match the PVI funding levels.

The Forum noted that the cost of the proposal (£66,000) would be found from within the Early Years’ funding block.

RESOLVED: That the proposals to align Maintained and PVI Early Years Funding for 2016/17 be supported.