Agenda item

The Forum was advised of the decisions required for the new School Funding Formula as per the Department for Education requirements. 

Agreement was sought from them on the funding factors to be used in the budget allocation process for 2014-15.  It was noted that a consultation had taken place during September with: secondary Head Teachers and/or secondary business managers; with primary head teachers at the finance SLA training sessions; and a separate primary chequebook school head teacher/finance administration session.  A consultation questionnaire was circulated to all primary head teachers with a short deadline for responses to ensure all views could be collated and fed into the report.  A summary of responses was attached to the report at Appendix A. 

It was determined that no changes would be required to the Funding Formula for next year and the Forum agreed to the recommendations listed below for 2014-15.

RESOLVED:  That Schools Forum:

1.     agree the use of seven funding factors;

2.     agree that funding is kept as much as possible within that funding factor;

3.     agree the continuation of the Basic Per Pupil factor at a cash value as close as possible to the value for 2013-14 adjusted only to keep within the overall Primary and Secondary schools total budgets;

4.     agree that for the deprivation funding factor we continue to target funding using Free School Meals Ever 6 and IDACI on a 50/50 split;

5.     agree that we set a proportion of 13.23% of delegated School Block funding to be allocated through the Deprivation factor;

6.     agree to the continued use of the Prior Attainment funding factor;

7.     agree that for the above funding factor, we continue to use the EYFSP threshold set at 73 points and below alongside the new profile of a Good Level of Development;

8.     recognise that the continuing use of this factor would result in a reduced amount payable per pupil due to the changes in the number of eligible pupils;

9.     agree to continue to use the Looked After Children funding factor;

10. agree to review the cash value of the Looked After Children Factor in January 2014 once the number of eligible pupils was known;

11. agree to continue to use the Lump Sum funding factor;

12. agree that the value of the lump sum remains at the same level for Primary schools;

13. agree that the value of the lump sum remained at the same level for secondary schools;

14. agree that the method of re-distributing any cash balance is taken in January 2014 once the decision regarding the merger has been announced;

15. agree that funding for LA Rates continue on the same basis as for 2013-14;

16. agree that PFI continues to be funded at the same level as 2013-14;

17. agree that we continue to not use English as an Additional Language funding factor;

18. agree that we continue to not use the Pupil Mobility funding factor;

19. agree that we use the Split Sites funding factor;

20. recognises that we are unable to use the new Sparsity funding factor;

21. recognised that we are unable to use the London Fringe and Post 16 funding factors; and

22. agree that Notional SEN was identified at 5% for each funding factor used.