Issue - meetings

To consider a joint report of the Executive Councillors (Support & Governance) and (Safe & Resilient Communities)

The report summarises the recent Education Funding Settlement announced by the Chancellor within the 2015 autumn statement outlined commitment to introduce a new national fairer funding formula from 2017/18 following consultation in 2016, therefore the current core arrangements for the Schools budget will be rolled forward again for 2016/17.

The Dedicated Schools Grant will continue to be allocated to the Local Authority in three notional blocks (Early Years, Schools and High Needs) and will be based on flat cash per pupil for 2016/17, i.e. a 0% increase, as it has since the funding reforms commenced. Schools will continue to be protected from significant budget reductions. The minimum funding guarantee will ensure no school receives more than a 1.5% per pupil reduction in 2016/17 budgets compared to the 2015/16 baseline and before the Pupil Premium is added.

The Pupil Premium grant and the new Early Years Premium will continue in 2016/17 and funding rates remain fixed at 2015/16 levels and targeted specifically at pupils from deprived wards.

The Local Authority continues to work closely with Schools Forum and the proposed amendments are the final part of the local agreement presented to the Executive last February. The proposals represent local fine tuning rather than any significant change ahead of the National Fairer Funding Formula. It is clear however, in the context of repeated 0% settlements that the financial position of schools is becoming more challenging and this seems likely to continue. The Local Authority will work closely with all schools in such circumstances to ensure they are supported.

The Executive is asked to:

  (i)       Note the details of the Education Funding Settlement for 2016/17.

 (ii)       Approve the amendment of the local formula for 2016/17 as outlined in 5.2 and summarised in the table in 7.2. of the report, 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, 0161 474 3947, peter.hughes@stockport.gov.uk

A joint report of the Executive Councillors (Safe & Resilient Communities) and (Support & Governance) was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive to consider key announcements from the Department for Education on the Education Funding Settlement for 2016/17, including the commitment to a new national funding formula for 2017/18, and seeking approval, in light of the consideration of the matter by the Schools Forum, the local formula to be used to determine individual school budgets in Stockport for 2016/17.

RESOLVED – (1) That the details of the Education Funding Settlement for 2016/17 be noted.

(2) That the amendment of the local formula for 2016/17 as outlined in 5.2 and summarised in the table in 7.2 for the report be approved, to form the basis of the calculation of school budgets and that this be notified to the Department for Education in accordance with statutory requirements.

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

The report provides the Scrutiny Committee with an update on the key announcements made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2016/2017

The Scrutiny Committee are invited to consider and comment on the report.

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

Representatives of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services and the Corporate Director for People submitted a joint report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update on key announcements made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2016/2017. The Executive Councillor, Safe and Resilient Communities (Councillor Shan Alexander) attended the meeting and answered questions in relation to the report.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         The role of Local Authorities in education and the implications of the Government phasing out of the ESG by the end of the decade which would mean a loss of £3.7m for Stockport. Many Local Authorities no longer had a Schools Improvement Services.

·         Changes to the index of multiple deprivation and the implications for the funding formula given that they present the most up to date information in respect to levels of deprivation in the borough.

·         The effect of the minimum funding guarantee on schools and what the Council intends to do when this temporary funding ceases particularly for those schools in the priority one areas.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.