Issue - meetings

Report CSD18143

The Schools’ Forum considered a report outlining the requirements for establishing a falling rolls fund to support schools that were facing financial difficulties due to a temporary reduction in pupil numbers.  At the last Schools Forum meeting the Primary Head Teacher representatives raised an  issue concerning the number of unfilled reception places across all primary schools in the Borough, and the financial impact that this was having on these schools.  It was agreed that the LA would carry out  a full review of this, to include the possibility of introducing a “falling rolls fund” to support schools experiencing the financial impact of this.

In accordance with DfE guidelines, local authorities were able to top slice the DSG in order to create a small fund to support good schools with falling rolls where local planning data demonstrated that the surplus places would be needed in the near future. Criteria for allocating falling rolls funding should contain clear objective trigger points for qualification and a clear formula for calculating allocations.

The October 2017 census data showed that there were 220 vacant reception places across the Borough – this varied from one or two vacancies across a large number of schools to vacancies of over 20 places in some individual schools. This data would have been used to calculate 2018/19 funding from April 2018 for maintained schools and September 2018 for academies. The final numbers for 2018 would not be known until after October, however early data indicated that the figures may be higher although it was anticipated that these numbers would change by October.  Although the issue had not been highlighted by secondary schools, the year 7 admission data had also been included which showed there was only one school with a significant number of vacant places.

Current data indicated that whilst primary reception numbers had fallen slightly since their peak in 2015/16, need remained strong with further growth forecast in planning areas 3 (Hayes and West Wickham) and 4 (Central Bromley). The current vacancy rate across the Borough (7%) was slightly higher than the Council’s target of 5% with vacancies generally spread across a small number of schools borough-wide. Future projections for secondary places very closely match the future provision of places with 2 additional Free Schools proposed due to open provided by the ESFA in future years.  Currently there were some surplus places in the east of the Borough. 

Based on the information provided, the Local Authority had looked at the possibility of introducing a falling rolls fund and what this may cost. It was noted that this cost would be top sliced from the Schools Block, as was done with the Growth fund, and would therefore impact on the amount of funding available to be distributed to all schools.

The suggested terms of the fund would be as follows:

• Support available only for schools judged Good or Outstanding at their last Ofsted inspection (this was a mandatory requirement)
• Surplus capacity exceeds 20% of the published admission number  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12