Decision details

To consider the report of the Assistant Director of Children’s Services and Learning seeking approval of the inclusion of a new grants factor in the Fair Funding Formula which is used to calculate the budget shares for individual schools. 

This is in response to the Department for Education’s announcement that a number of specific grants will be mainstreamed into the Dedicated Schools Grant from 2011/12.  All schools have been consulted on this proposed change to the Formula.

On consideration of the report of the Assistant Director of Children’s Services and Learning Cabinet agreed the following:

(i)  To approve an amendment to the Fair Funding Formula for 2011/12, as detailed in Appendix 1 to the report, which will allow Standards Fund Grants to be allocated to schools on the same basis as in 2010/11.

The Department for Education has announced that a number of specific grants will be mainstreamed into the Dedicated Schools Grant from 2011/12.  The recommendation to include a specific grant factor based on the amount that a school would have received if the specific grants had continued, will ensure minimal turbulence pending a full review of funding by need. 

Under Department for Education regulations the specific grants have to be allocated through schools’ budget shares from 2011/12 as the grants will be mainstreamed into the Dedicated Schools Grant.  The other allocation methods discussed with and rejected by the Schools Forum were:

·  Allocation on number of roll (100%)

·  Allocation on number on roll (71%), flat rate (11%), free school meals (5%), English as an additional language (3%), prior attainment (7%), numbers of advanced skills teachers (3%)