Issue - meetings

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

The report provides detail on the final construction of the 2015/16 schools budget financed by the dedicated schools grant (DSG) and update/summary of other key school funding streams and financial matters.

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 final construction of the 2015/16 schools budget financed by the dedicated schools grant (DSG) and an update/summary of other key school funding streams and financial matters.

Members were informed that the 2015/16 DSG allocation continues to be allocated on a 0% cash settlement basis, using the “Spend plus” methodology, thus requiring all cost pressures to be funded by equal cash savings and/or efficiencies found from within the current baseline position.

It was reported that the total schools budget funding would be a sum of £194.348m, and that based on this and the construction of the schools and early year’s budget, the high needs block had a control total of £26.405m.

It was further reported that to account for all identified cost pressures having realised savings and/or efficiencies available in other HN areas, the LA had applied a total of £0.824m from current unallocated DSG reserves to set a balanced budget.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The difference between the Central Reserve held within the High Needs block to deal with basic need of school places/ICS initiative and secondary sector falling numbers on roll and the general Dedicated Schools Grant reserve.

·         Top up funding was used for special schools and units, high needs pupils in mainstream schools and post-16 providers.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.