Issue - meetings

Schools Finance Settlement 2025/26

Meeting: 04/02/2025 - Cabinet (Item 7)

7 Schools Finance Settlement 2025/26 (CF&E11) pdf icon PDF 272 KB

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education.

 

The report provides an update on the key announcements made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2025/26.

 

The Cabinet is recommended to:

 

(1) Note the details of the Education Funding Settlement for 2025/26.

 

(2) Approve the construction of the early year’s budget as per section 3.1 to 3.2 and the updated 2025/26 local funding formula for schools as outlined in sections 3.3. to 3.5 and detailed in the table(s) in section 6.2 which will form the basis of the calculation of school budgets and be notified to the DfE in accordance with statutory requirements.

 

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

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the key announcements made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2025/26.

 

It was commented that Stockport remained one of the lowest funded local authorities with regard to education, and this are, like so many others, required national government to properly resource local authorities to allow them to provide the services that residents expected.

 

RESOLVED - (1) That the details of the Education Funding Settlement for 2025/26 be noted.

 

(2) That approval be given to the construction of the early year’s budget as per section 3.1 to 3.2 and the updated 2025/26 local funding formula for schools as outlined in sections 3.3. to 3.5 and detailed in the table(s) in section 6.2 which will form the basis of the calculation of school budgets and be notified to the DfE in accordance with statutory requirements.


Meeting: 22/01/2025 - Children & Families Scrutiny Committee (Item 7)

7 Schools Finance Settlement 2025/26 pdf icon PDF 400 KB

To consider a report of the Director of Children’s Services.

 

The report provides an update on the key announcements made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2025/26.

 

The Scrutiny Committee is asked to note the report.

 

Officer contact: Peter Hughes | 0161 474 3947 | peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Director of Children’s Services submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on the key announcements made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2025/26.

 

The Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education (Councillor Wendy Meikle) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

 

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

 

·       Members enquired about additional funding from the High Needs Block from schools and what the detail of those requests might be. In response, it was noted that there were two main funding streams, including capital and revenue funding streams with this report dealing with the revenue funding position. However, it was commented that the requests for additional funding was currently uncertain at the moment, but there had been a substantial increase in funding to mainstream schools.

·       It was commented that there was no detail relating to the £740m announced in the chancellor’s statement.

·       Clarification was sought relating to the difference between maintained nurseries and private nurseries and the increase costs of national insurance and how it would impact parents. In response, it was noted that in relation to the national insurance threshold change, that the public sector bodies were exempt from that change. It was also noted that local authorities, schools including maintained nurseries will receive recompense for the additional employer’s contribution.

·       It was highlighted that the funding provided by the council to maintained nursery classes and the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector was for the extended 30 hours and as such all of the funding was going towards the providers for children whether they were accessing 15 hours or the 30 hours and were all being funded equally.

·       Members enquired about the minimum funding levels for primary and secondary schools and how it compared to the Greater Manchester area. In response, it was noted that the total funding received per pupil across all blocks was about £7,800 per pupil. It was further noted, that the minimum funding levels for primary schools was £5,300 for 2025/26 and for secondary schools it was just under £7,000 for 2025/26 in comparison to Manchester who receive £6,000 for primary pupils and £8,000 for secondary pupils.

·       Clarification was sought relating to the central retention reducing from 5% down to 4%. It was noted that because of the total amount of funding due to the expansion of entitlements was increasing the Government has decided to reduce the retention from 5% to 4%.

·       Members enquired about the ‘central pot for the early years block’ and what it was used for. In response, it was stated that it was a method by which services were funded to support children in the early years. It was used to fund specific services in the early years including ‘early years funding team’ and ‘early years improvement team’ and also supports the delivery to children in the early years.

·       It was commented that a breakdown of the information relating to the ‘early years block’ and funding had been submitted to the Schools Forum and a link to that information would be shared with the Committee.

 

RESOLVED – (1) That the report be noted and the recommendations to Cabinet be endorsed.

 

(2) That the Director of Education, Works and Skills be requested to circulate to the Committee the link to the School’s Forum agenda that related to the ‘early years block funding’.