Agenda item

Lisa Potts introduced the report (Agenda Item 9), which set out the new process for the Early Years grant funding for the financial year 2021/22.

Lisa Potts reported that traditionally the Local Authority received funding based on the number of hours taken up by children in the January census. The DfE had recognised however, that the number of children attending in January 2021 would be much lower than normal due to Covid. The process had therefore been changed for the current year so that if the numbers of children in the spring term 2021 were below 85% from the previous year then a top up would be received up to the 85%.

Lisa Potts added that this would be split across the different types of early years funding, which were detailed under section 3.2 of the report. It was expected that West Berkshire would only be entitled to top up funding for two year olds.

The final allocation for 2020/21 had not been received yet and would be received later in the year. Lisa Potts reported that for 2021/22 the DfE had asked the Local Authority to provide funding based on the termly data. This would not change the payment paid out to providers and would only change the amount received by the Local Authority from the Department for Education, which would be based on the hours that children were attending rather than the January census alone.

RESOLVED that the Schools’ Forum noted the report.