Agenda item

Avril Allenby introduced the report (Agenda Item 8), which aimed to update the Schools’ Forum on the work of the Early Years Funding Group (EYFG) in preparing a deficit recovery plan for the Early Years DSG block.

Avril Allenby reported that some of the information within the report had been presented to the Schools’ Forum previously. The intention had been to bring the initial stages of a deficit recovery plan to the meeting. The Early Years Funding Group (EYFG), which was made up of a range of providers had met for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic on the 6^th July and had looked at different scenarios to recover the deficit across three or five years.  Robust discussions had taken place and the decision had been taken that further time was required to explore the options available to ensure that the approach was fair and equitable to all types and size of providers. Arrangements around Covid-19 also needed to be considered as part of this process. Therefore an update was only possible at the current time.

Lisa Potts commented that there were a lot of different types of providers to consider as part of this process and a lot of work was taking place behind the scenes.

Catie Colston queried if there were any implications that would be caused from delaying the deficit recovery plan. Avril Allenby confirmed that there would still be a deficit recovery plan in place for the next financial year. It was important to note that the Early Years sector was funded in a different way to schools as many providers also relied on income generation.

Ian Pearson added that there had never been an intention for the deficit recovery plan to commence prior to the end of the current financial year. It was however, important that deficit recovery plans should not be slipped further. Different options would be brought to the next meeting of the Forum and a view would need to be taken on which option was the most viable option. Different options would impact differently upon different providers. A view would also need to be taken on whether the deficit recovery plan should span over three or five years.  

Gemma Piper stated the she had also intended to raise questions, relating to when the actions for the deficit recovery plan could commence and secondly what time period the recovery plan would span over. She noted that Ian Pearson had covered these points in his previous response. Avril Allenby commented that timescales were already being looked at and it was important that providers were given as long as possible to adapt to any changes and therefore further slippage needed to be avoided.

RESOLVED that the Schools’ Forum noted the report and that a deficit recovery report for the Early Years Block would be brought to the next meeting in October 2020.