Agenda and draft minutes

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The Cabinet Member referred those present to agenda item 1 as shown on the agenda in respect of filming at this meeting and asked that those present reviewed and noted the information contained therein.

The Cabinet Member will advise of any items they have decided to take as urgent business.

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The report seeks Cabinet Member approval for changes to the Council’s local schools funding formula for the 2018-2019 financial year, following the introduction of the Schools National Funding Formula by the Department for Education.

The Chair of Overview and Scrutiny has agreed that the call-in procedure shall not apply to this decision as the action being taken is urgent and time critical and any delay in implementation caused by the call-in procedure would seriously prejudicethe Council's or the public's interests. This is in accordance with Part 4, Section H, Paragraph 18 (a) and (b) of the Council Constitution.

The Cabinet Member for Children and Families considered the report, which sought approval for changes to the Council’s local schools funding formula for the 2018-2019 financial year due to the introduction of the Schools National Funding Formula by the Department for Education (DfE).

The Joint Assistant Director for Schools and Learning advised that for 2018-19 (and 2019-20), the Council retained the power and responsibility for setting the local funding formula. However, consultation with schools had been at the heart of the Council’s approach. The Council conducted a full consultation based on the information available in November and at December Schools Forum and agreed the principles on which the final funding allocation should be agreed.

Since then the Education and Skills Funding Agency had updated the finance data once, which supported the recommendations in the published report. They have since acknowledged an error and updated the allocations, so the schools and learning service had remodelled the options and had updated the recommendations and alternative options considered, section of the report.

These were put forward to the Cabinet Member in the form of a tabled addendum with legal and finance comments accompanying the updated recommendation.

It was noted that the updated recommendation followed on from a second (truncated) consultation with schools between the 15^th and 17^th of January on the final options. 16 votes were received from Heads and Chairs of Governors in favour of the recommended option [which was what the addendum recommendations proposed} and 1 against.  It was noted that at the Schools Forum, held on the 17^th of January, they overwhelmingly agreed the recommended option included in the addendum .

As such the updated recommendations for agreement was as follows

The Cabinet Member was asked to agree the following changes to the local schools funding formula for the 2018-19 financial year:

(a)       Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) to increase from -1.5% to +0.5% per pupil 

(b)       Operate a cap of +0.5% per pupil increase at a scaling rate of 100% on schools gaining compared with the 2017-2018 local funding formula

(c)        Set 2018-2019 Growth Fund at £985,369.96

(d)       No transfer from Schools Block to High Needs Block in 2018-2019

(e)       Transfer £488,247.75 which is +0.25% of 2018-2019 Schools Block DSG from Schools Block DSG Reserves to High Needs Block

Due to the time restrictions imposed by the EFSA deadline of the 19^th of January to return final figures, the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny had agreed for this decision to not be subject to call in.

RESOLVED

The Cabinet Member for Children & Families agreed the following changes to the local schools funding formula for the 2018-2019 financial year:

(a)       Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) to increase from -1.5% to +0.5% per pupil 

(b)       Operate a cap of +0.5% per pupil increase at a scaling rate of 100% on schools gaining compared with the 2017-2018 local funding formula

(c)        Set 2018-2019 Growth Fund at £985,369.96

(d)       No transfer from Schools Block to High Needs Block in 2018-2019

(e)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 223.

None.