Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for People.

The report provides information for Schools Forum on the impact of changes to inter-authority recoupment arrangements for the ‘top-up’ funding for pupils with a Statement or Education, Health and Care Plan, which came into effect from April 2013. The report also details changes for all Stockport maintained schools in the arrangements for the recoupment of this funding from September 2016.

Schools Forum is asked to note the report.

Officer Contact: Cathy Lyall on 0161 474 4463 or email cathy.lyall@stockport.gov.uk.

A representative of the Corporate Director for People submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing information for Schools Forum on the impact of changes to inter-authority recoupment arrangements for the ‘top-up’ funding for pupils with a Statement or Education, Health and Care Plan, which came into effect from April 2013. The report also detailed changes for all Stockport maintained schools in the arrangements for the recoupment of this funding from September 2016.

The DfE ‘School funding reform: Arrangements for 2013-14’ and the ‘Explanatory Memorandum to the Inter-Authority Recoupment (England) Regulations 2013 No. 492’ described that funding above the base level (‘top-up funding’) would pass directly between the providing local authority and the institution. To date in Stockport, this administrative task had continued to be provided to maintained institutions through the SEN department at no cost to schools.

It was proposed that from the 1^st September 2016 all schools would be required to make their own arrangements to recoup income for children and young people in their setting who were from other local authorities and in receipt of high needs top-up’ funding as a result of reduced central capacity to undertake the activity and to align Stockport’s procedure with the requirements identified in the fairer funding regulations 2013.

It was noted that the policy allows schools the opportunity to negotiate higher top-up amounts for children if their needs require it.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.