Agenda item

Melanie Ellis introduced the report (Agenda Item 6), which set out the results of the consultation with all schools on the proposed primary and secondary school funding formula for 2023/24 and to make a recommendation to Schools Forum.

The recommendations in the report were as follows:

a)    To mirror the Department for Education’s (DfE) 2023/24 National Funding Formula (NFF) to calculate the funding allocations.

b)   To use the minimum sparsity factor.

c)    To address any surplus or shortfall in funding by adjusting the AWPU values.

d)   To not top slice any of the schools’ funding to support the High Needs Block.

e)    To not reinstate the Falling Rolls Fund.

f)     To approve the criteria to be used to allocate additional funds.

g)   To approve the proposed services to be de-delegated, but to defer a decision on the Primary Schools in Financial Difficulty Fund to the next meeting.

Catie Colston queried if the set of recommendations mirrored that of other similar local authorities. Melanie Ellis reported that she was unsure at this particular stage however, she was aware that local authorities were being encouraged to move closer to the NFF. The consultation with schools had included information on how many local authorities had opted for the minimum sparsity level the previous year and Melanie Ellis believed this was about 15. Melanie Ellis did not have information on how many local authorities were choosing to top slice the schools’ block.

The Chair invited the Forum to comment on the recommendations and no comments were received. It was therefore proposed that recommendations (a) – (e) should be voted on collectively.

It was proposed and seconded that recommendations (a) – (e) should be approved. At the vote with all school members (normally also the PVI representative however apologies had been given) the motion was carried.

The Chair invited the Forum to consider recommendation (f). It was proposed and seconded that recommendation (f) should be approved by the Forum.  At the vote with all Forum members the motion was carried.

RESOLVED that all recommendations included in the report were approved with the exception of recommendation (g). The de-delegation proposals would be considered and voted on under Item 8 – De-delegation proposals 2023-24.