Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services.

The report provides detail on the mandatory annual pro-forma toolkit (APT) the Local Authority is required to submit to the DfE in relation to all aspects of the local schools funding formula adopted for 2015/16 as approved by the Council Executive.

Schools Forum members are asked to note the report.

Officer contact: Peter Hughes on 0161 474 3947 or email peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing detail on the mandatory annual pro-forma toolkit (APT) the Local Authority was required to submit to the DfE in relation to all aspects of the local schools funding formula adopted for 2015/16 as approved by the Council Executive.

The Schools Funding Reforms laid by the DfE require the LA to submit details of the local funding formula to be used to determine the delegated budget share for all local maintained schools and academies along with any other associated schools (i.e. free schools) budget information.

The 2015/16 return had been submitted on the following basis:

·         Primary sector – Increase the basic entitlement funding factor level to 73% of the overall envelope of funding and reduce all other funding factors on a prorate basis (except lump sum) in line with the approved proposal following formal consultation undertaken in the autumn term with all governing bodies.

·         Secondary sector – structure of the formula remained unchanged.

·         Both sectors - a reduction had been applied to any factors where the total cohort of pupils eligible had increased significantly from the 2014/15 baseline (i.e. FSM, SEN, LAC, etc.), thus ensuring the overall costs of the formula model did not increase above the cash level allocated by DfE at 0%.

·         No new/additional formula factors were to be used in 2015/16;

·         Capping applied to gaining schools based on a 0% level, with the scaling of 65.1% applied to meet the total cost of applying MFG at -1.5% per pupil;

·         Planned basic need pupil place growth funding (including infant class size compliance) as per local criteria agreed;

·         High needs additional in-year funding as per local criteria agreed; and

·         Unplanned growth funding to continue to be allocated via the locally agreed 3% threshold level and resources deployed from de-delegated funds.

The final APT return was submitted to DfE prior to the deadline in January 2015 on the basis it was still subject to ratification from the Council Meeting in February 2015, and DfE were informed when it had been approved.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.