Issue - meetings

To consider a report of Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services.

The report updates the Cabinet on the key announcements made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2020/21 and requests that Cabinet approves the local funding formula models to be used to determine the individual 2020/21 budgets for early years providers and schools in Stockport.

The Cabinet is recommended to:-

(i) note the details of the Education Funding Settlement for 2020/21; and

(ii)  approve the construction of the early year’s budget as defined at section 4.2 to 4.3 of the report and the updated local schools funding formula model as outlined in section 4.4 to 4.6 and summarised in the tables provided at section 7.2 of the report.

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

The Cabinet Member for Children, Family Services & Education submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) updating the Cabinet on key announcements made by the Department for Education on the education funding settlement for 2020/21 and inviting the Cabinet to consider the local funding formula models to be used to determine the individual 2020/21 budgets for early years providers and schools in Stockport.

RESOLVED – (1) That the details of the Education Funding Settlement for 2020/21 be noted.

(2) That the construction of the early year’s budget as defined at section 4.2 to 4.3 of the report and the updated local schools funding formula model as outlined in section 4.4 to 4.6 and summarised in the tables provided at section 7.2 of the report be approved.

To update the Cabinet on the key announcements made by the Department for Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2020/21.

To approve the local funding formula models to be used to determine the individual 2020/21 budgets for early years providers and schools in Stockport.

The Scrutiny Committee is invited to comment on the proposals and recommendations presented within the report.

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

A joint report of the Director of Children’s Services and the Borough Treasurer was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the key announcements made by the Department of Education (DfE) on the education funding settlement for 2020/21.

The Cabinet Member for Children, Family Services & Education (Councillor Colin Foster) attended the meeting to respond to questions from the Scrutiny Committee.

The following comments were made/issues raised: -

·         The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) allocation would continue to be provided in four notional blocks following the Ministerial announcement in December 2019 with the first phase of the additional £13b nationally being invested from 2021, with £2.6b in the first year being invested nationally, which according to the national funding formula model represented an approximate 4% uplift.

·         Stockport would see a baseline DSg allocation rising from £223m to about £238m as outlined in the report.

·         The School’s Budget with its own funding formula model for both primary and secondary schools would continue to be adopted for 2021 following consultation with the Schools Forum.

·         Further details were awaited from the DfE relating to the next level of structure for the national funding formula which is being planned to move to a “hard national funding formula” where the local authority had limited flexibility.

·         Regarding the school’s block announcement for 2021, there would be a rise of about £11m for Stockport due to an increase in pupil numbers and new minimum funding levels.

·         The Schools Forum had confirmed that a central reserve of about £450k will be held to deal with any infant class size issues.

·         Any schools that received a reduction in their budget share as a result of either a fall in pupil numbers or a change in pupil profile would be supported by a minimum funding guarantee protection.

·         Clarification was sought regarding the £450k reserve and if any forecasting had been done. In response, it was commented that an amount of funding was set aside each year based upon what had been requested in the previous year together with data and trends information, so it was known which schools would need support.

·         Clarification was sought regarding the Early Years Single Funding Formula and the detail regarding what it was used for. In response it was commented that it was used to support staff and provide training with statutory regulation updates and to co-ordinate the programmes across the borough and it was a statutory requirement to have an SEND Inclusion Fund specifically for the 3-4 year old age group.

RESOLVED – That the report be noted.