Agenda item

To consider an update on DFE/ESFA funding announcements and the 2024-2025 Schools Revenue Funding Arrangements and Dedicated Schools Grant.

The Forum considered the briefing paper of the Finance Business Partner, giving an update on DFE/ESFA funding announcements and the 2024-2025 Schools Revenue Funding Arrangements and Dedicated Schools Grant.

The Forum noted that the deadline for submitting the final stage Authority Proforma Tool (APT) to the Department for Education (DFE) had been Monday 22^nd January 2024 and therefore a draft submission had been made based on the recommendations in the briefing paper with a note that they would require approval of the Forum. A further submission was to be made reflecting any changes required by the Forum.

The Forum was advised that the increase in the schools block reflected £4 million from the increase in pupil numbers and £9 million from the uplift in funding after rolling in of the mainstream schools additional grant.

The Forum considered the proposed technical adjustment for three Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schools and noted it had increased by 10.4% to be distributed pro rata to the existing distribution of the current £738,900.

Previously the Forum had agreed in principle to support PFI schools and that every school would receive its national funding formula allocation and it was therefore noted that no further approval was required on the principle of this matter from the Forum because all schools continued to receive the full national funding formula allocation under this proposal.

Upon being put to the vote the Forum agreed to making the technical adjustment.

The Forum then considered the proposed adjustment for planned expansion and growth in the All Through School of £386,480 which accounted for a lag in funding for the months between September 2024 and March 2025.

Upon being put to the vote the Forum agreed to making the technical adjustment for the growing school.

The Forum then considered the proposal that the projected surplus be used to create a Growth Fund for unplanned growth in schools. The Forum was advised that in October 2023 there were 380 more pupils than in October 2022, of which 180 had planned places at the All Through School.

The Forum was advised that the mechanism for either returning any unused surplus or carrying it forward to the following year was subject to further consideration by the Forum at future meetings.

Upon being put to the vote the Forum agreed to allocating the surplus to an unplanned growth fund once each school had received the national funding formula.

The Forum then considered the proposed block transfer from the Schools Block to the Central School Services Block of £220,000 to compensate for reduced funding over several years in addition to the National Funding Formula.

It was noted that the Forum had previously agreed to a top slice but that in the interest of creating transparency during a period of re-structuring the Head of Education and Learning, with the consent of the Chair put forward for consideration three options for the future:

1.  Transfer of £220,000 to the Education Service.

2.  No transfer of the money until further detail had been provided about the structure of the Education Service.

3.  Transfer of £220,000 to the Education Service to be ring fenced until the Forum had considered the structure and services of the Education Service and thereafter the money to be released in tranches upon receipt of satisfactory reports from the Council to the Forum or the money to be returned to schools if the Forum could not be satisfied.

Upon being put to the vote the Forum agreed to the third option.