Agenda item

Report of the Chief Officer for Children’s Services and County Treasurer (DEF/18/09) attached.  The Devon Consultation document is also available for information at

 https://new.devon.gov.uk/supportforschools/finance/consultations

DISCUSSION:

The Forum considered the report of the Chief Officer for Children’s Services and County Treasurer (DEF/18/09) on Schools Funding and Devon’s consultation with schools during the autumn term 2018.

Members’ and Officers’ discussion included: -

·         the need for per pupil/capita information and not just global figures, and the Forum noted that this data was available from the Schools Budget Calculator; SFG had been provided at the September meeting with information for the options and all schools could see data across Devon via the School Budget Share Calculator;

·         regular monthly updates would be produced for the SFG meetings and an additional meeting in July would also be programmed and an explanation had been provided prior to the cancellation of the SFG meeting;

·         the operational guidance was fully understood by the relevant officers [N.B. the County Council was confident that it delivered provision in line with the guidance, as referred to in Minute 90];

·         the DEF and the County Council recognised the rising costs of services to and within Schools;   

·         the detrimental impact if the proposed 0.5% transfer from the DSG Schools Block to the High Needs Block, noting the pressures in both areas, the limited benefit the transfer would have for children with special needs, the work done presently by schools to support children with special needs which would be adversely affected by any decrease in funding and recognising that it would be for one year only; and

·         that in light of the vote taken at (a) (ii) below Officers would be meeting with the Cabinet Lead on 26 November 2018 before making a submission to the Secretary of State (by 30 November) and that meeting would be fully cognisant of the unanimous vote taken by the Forum at this meeting.  

DECISION:

(a) that Cabinet be recommended (in respect of the proposals for the 2019-20 schools revenue funding formula (as set out in section 1 of report DEF/18/09): -

(i) that the formula factors for distributing the funding to schools be approved, in that, the Minimum Funding Guarantee be set at 0% and the Minimum Funding Level be maintained at 2018-19 funding levels. (Note that the final funding rates may change subject to affordability when the October 2018 pupil data and Schools Block DSG settlement is confirmed in late December 2018;

(Vote: Schools, Academies and PVI members)

(ii) that the transfer of 0.5% to the High Needs Block be NOT approved, [despite the response to question one (as set out in section 1 of report DEF/18/09) and the continued funding pressures within the block];

(Vote: Schools, Academies and PVI members)

(iii) that in view of the Vote taken at (ii) above, the School’s Forum agree Option B as it recognises the schools views to maintain a 0% MFG with the understanding that if the authority received additional growth funding from the new methodology from the DfE that it is revised to Option C (as detailed in the Report DEF/18/09);

(b) that the de-delegation or delegation proposals for maintained primary and maintained secondary schools respectively (as set out in section 2.2 and appendix C of report DEF/18/09) be approved;

(Vote: Maintained primary members)

(Vote: Maintained secondary members)

(c) that the centrally held funding allocations (as set out in section 3 and 3.14 and appendix D of report DEF/18/09) be approved, namely: -

(i) to continue to give £60,000 for the Emotional, Psychological and Social Wellbeing Service, co-produced by Public Health Devon and schools;

(ii) to retain the funding centrally at the same level as 2018-19 for Phase Associations;

(iiii) Option 1 to increase the rate to £5.28 per pupil for Schools Admissions Service.

(Vote: Schools, Academies and PVI members)

(d) that the local authority’s disapplication requests that have been applied for and awaiting approval allocations (as set out in section 4 of report DEF/18/09) be noted.

ACTION:  County Treasurer (Adrian Fox)