Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Schools Improvement

Forward Plan Ref: 2010/170

Contact: Simon Pickard, Finance Business Partner CYP&F Tel (01865) 797512

Report by Director for Children, Young People & Families ( CA 12).

The report explains which significant changes are required to the Fair Funding Formula for Schools from April 2011, and why these are required. The report summarises the national funding position and the implications for the Strategic Review of Schools Funding which has been started in Oxfordshire, following Cabinet's agreement in May 2009 that this should be carried out.

The main changes required are the introduction of an Early Years Single Funding Formula, and the inclusion of a new factor in the funding formula to deal with the specific grants which have now been merged in to the Dedicated Schools Grant for 2011/12 onwards. The merging of grants factor is only expected to apply for one year pending the revision of the formula in April 2012 after conclusion of the Strategic Formula Review.

The report explains that the original plan to introduce changes in the funding formula from April 2011 have been revised due to the Coalition Government's funding announcements and the introduction of the Pupil Premium. The intention is now to introduce the main changes from April 2012, once further work is done and the implications of the Pupil Premium and future changes are fully assessed.

The report summarises which principles have been agreed by Schools Forum and seeks Cabinet approval/ endorsement of proposals pending finalisation of the budget proposals and inclusion of final figures in Budget papers to be considered in February 2011.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)       agree the proposals for introduction of the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) from 1 April 2011;

(b)       endorse the proposed principles for a formula funding factor for 2011-12 for merged standards fund grants; and

(c)       note the revised target date of April 2012 for completion of the Strategic Review of School Funding and introduction of a revised funding formula for schools.

The Cabinet considered a report CA12 that explained which significant changes were required to the Fair Funding Formula for Schools from April 2011, and why these were required. The report summarised the national funding position and the implications for the Strategic Review of Schools Funding which had been started in Oxfordshire, following Cabinet's agreement in May 2009 that this should be carried out.

The main changes required were the introduction of an Early Years Single Funding Formula, and the inclusion of a new factor in the funding formula to deal with the specific grants which had now been merged in to the Dedicated Schools Grant for 2011/12 onwards. The merging of grants factor was only expected to apply for one year pending the revision of the formula in April 2012 after conclusion of the Strategic Formula Review.

The report explained that the original plan to introduce changes in the funding formula from April 2011 had been revised due to the Coalition Government's funding announcements and the introduction of the Pupil Premium. The intention was now to introduce the main changes from April 2012, once further work had been done and the implications of the Pupil Premium and future changes were fully assessed.

The report summarised which principles had been agreed by Schools Forum and sought Cabinet approval/ endorsement of proposals pending finalisation of the budget proposals and inclusion of final figures in Budget papers to be considered in February 2011.

The Cabinet RESOLVED to:

(a)       agree the proposals for introduction of the Early Years Single Funding Formula (EYSFF) from 1 April 2011;

(b)       endorse the proposed principles for a formula funding factor for 2011-12 for merged standards fund grants; and

(c)   note the revised target date of April 2012 for completion of the Strategic Review of School Funding and introduction of a revised funding formula for schools.

At this juncture the Cabinet agreed a variation in the order of business.