Agenda item

The Forum considered a report (Agenda Item 13) which presented the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) monitoring information for month 7 on 2015/16. At the end of October 2015 the total DSG overspend position forecast for year end was £681k, compared to the month 5 forecast of £273k overspend, all in the high needs block, as shown in Figure 1 below: 

Figure 1: Financial Position as at Month 7 (October 2015).

The Schools Block was expected to be largely on-line. Any under spends in the growth fund contingency budget and primary schools in financial difficulty budget would be ring fenced and carried forward to 2016/17 and would not impact on the overall position of the DSG. There might be a small overspend on the delegated primary and secondary budgets due to rating revaluations. Admissions was showing a small under spend.    

A detailed assessment of the forecast for the Early Years block budgets was being undertaken and will be complete once all the Autumn payments have been made to providers and a projection can be made for Spring payments. The current indication was that there would be an under spend in this block. 

The High Needs Block was currently forecasting an overspend of £682k, the bulk of which was in relation to new placements in non West Berkshire Special schools, mainly Thames Valley Free School, and top ups at the PRUs. Other pressures included additional placements over and above allocated place numbers in West Berkshire’s own special schools, and payments to private hospital tuition providers.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.